Guangzhou Football Club, known as Guangzhou FC or simply Guangzhou Team (广州队), was a professional football club based in Guangzhou, China. The club’s most recognizable visual identity was the shield-shaped crest featuring a roaring South China tiger, adopted in 2011 during the club’s Guangzhou Evergrande era. The club formally dissolved in January 2025 after failing to obtain a license for the 2025 season due to historical debts.[1]
Design and History
The crest that defined Guangzhou FC’s modern identity was introduced in early 2011, when the club first wore jerseys bearing the new emblem during the Chinese New Year period at the Lunar New Year Cup.[2] The shield-shaped design features a crown-style top, with a roaring South China tiger emerging from burning flames as the central element, accompanied by the English motto “BE THE BEST FOREVER” above the tiger.[3]
Prior to the Evergrande takeover, the club’s crest under Guangzhou Pharmaceutical was markedly different. That earlier emblem used the shape of the kapok flower, Guangzhou’s city flower, with a ram’s horn motif referencing Guangzhou’s nickname “City of Rams,” and a crown-shaped stamen. The design was predominantly blue, matching Guangzhou Pharmaceutical’s corporate identity color scheme.[4]
In 2010, after Evergrande Group acquired the club, a transitional crest was introduced featuring the South China tiger and flames, with the GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Group) abbreviation and logo appearing on a football below, reflecting the sponsor’s involvement that season.[5]
In July 2014, following Alibaba Group’s investment and the club’s renaming to Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, the club announced a modification to the crest: the Evergrande Group corporate logo was removed from the emblem. Other elements, including “BE THE BEST FOREVER,” “GUANGZHOU,” and the South China tiger mark, were retained.[6] The club explained that world-famous football clubs typically do not feature corporate elements in their crests, and the change was intended to make the emblem more neutral and reduce commercial branding while emphasizing the “Guangzhou” regional identity.[7] The updated crest was scheduled for full implementation by the start of the 2015 season.[6]
When the club adopted the neutral name “Guangzhou Football Club” in January 2021 under Chinese Football Association naming regulations, the Evergrande-era logo was not changed.[8] The crest remained in use through the club’s final seasons until its dissolution in January 2025.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2011 crest’s shield shape was intended to convey strength and invincibility, while the crown at the top symbolized noble status and a kingly bearing, reflecting the club’s ambition to build a century-old institution.[1] The five gems at the top of the shield carried the number five’s auspicious connotations in Chinese culture, including associations with the club’s original five-year goal of winning the AFC Champions League.[1]
The roaring South China tiger at the center was chosen for its strong regional association with Guangzhou, symbolizing the city’s fighting spirit of perseverance and determination.[1] The flames beneath the tiger, combined with the football at the bottom, conveyed the club’s ambition to revitalize Guangzhou football and contribute to Chinese football more broadly.[1]
The motto “BE THE BEST FOREVER” (永做最好) was inspired by club owner Xu Jiayin’s stated philosophy of “if you do something, do it best.”[1] The ribbon at the bottom bearing “GUANGZHOU” represented honor and affirmed the club’s authentic Guangzhou heritage.[1]
The crest’s primary colors were red and yellow, with red representing passion and good fortune and yellow representing brilliance and nobility, matching the club’s home and away kit colors. The white football symbolized civilized competition and a commitment to integrity.[1]
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