BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Li Weifeng, the head coach of Guangzhou City, has a poignant memory of history of his club and its cross-city rival Guangzhou FC.
"These two Guangzhou teams have been so successful in the past that they became the benchmark for the other Chinese Super League (CSL) teams," said the former Chinese international.
"But who could then imagine that these two teams now end up fighting against each other in a relegation dogfight?" he said.
Guangzhou FC, formerly known as Guangzhou Evergrande, won the CSL title eight times on top of two Asian Champions League trophies, while Guangzhou City once finished third in the 2014 CSL campaign.
Both clubs suffered a fast fall down the pecking order of the CSL after their parent companies ran into financial difficulties.
Guangzhou City currently sits second to bottom on the CSL table with nine points from 17 games, while Guangzhou FC is only one position higher with two more points.
Li, who was appointed head coach of Guangzhou City in late August, was tasked with saving the struggling Guangzhou side.
He has managed well so far, with his team winning both of the two games under his guidance.
"My personal goal is to help the team stay on in the CSL. I want to bring positive changes to the team, but it also depends on our results," he said.
"I look forward to seeing this team in the CSL next season," he added. ■
