According to the South China Morning Posta viral image circulating on social media on June 28 showed Beijing Guoan’s bus being towed away, with the door sealed by the Beijing Intermediate People’s Court. As a result, at least three foreign players, midfielders Guga, Dawhan and Brazilian-born naturalized player Serginho, had to rent public bicycles to travel home after training.

Real estate company Sinobo Group, which owns 64% of Beijing Guoan’s shares, are reported to be in debt of 3.68 billion yuan ($502 million).

Despite these financial difficulties, Beijing has continued to invest heavily in their squad this season. The club appointed former Barcelona coach Quique Setien as head coach and signed seven new players.

After 15 matches this season, Beijing are in second place in the Chinese Super League (CSL) with 35 points, just three behind Shanghai Shenhua, but played one match fewer. The club still have 15 matches remaining in the second half of the season.

Beijing Guoan won the CSL in 2009 and have finished as runners-up four times, in 2007, 2011, 2014, and 2019. The club feature several national team players, including defenders Li Lei and Wu Shaocong, midfielder Serginho, and forwards Zhang Yuning and Lin Liangming.

Bankruptcy of Chinese football clubs has become more common in recent years, especially following the burst of the real estate bubble in 2021 and the ongoing financial crisis. The mounting debt of Evergrande Group forced Guangzhou Evergrande, once a powerhouse of Chinese football, to dissolve in January this year.

Once a league that attracted many international football stars, the CSL has struggled to maintain stability. The decline of the domestic league has also negatively impacted the China national team, as they were recently eliminated in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In addition, several officials from the Chinese Football Association (CFA), including former president Chen Xuyuan and former national team coach Li Tie, have been arrested following accusations of corruption and bribery. Under the leadership of new president Song Kai, the CFA is focusing more on youth development in an effort to change.