# 2016 Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao F.C. season

The 2016 Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao season was the 63rd year in Guangzhou Evergrande's existence and was its 49th season in the Chinese football league, also its 27th season in the top flight.
Guangzhou was knocked out in the group stage of 2016 AFC Champions League for the first time but won all three domestic titles for the second time in club's history. Brazilian attacking midfielder Ricardo Goulart won Chinese Football Association Footballer of the Year as well as the golden boot of the league by scoring 19 goals. Luiz Felipe Scolari won Manager of the Year title. Seven players including Feng Xiaoting, Gao Lin, Ricardo Goulart, Kim Young-Gwon, Paulinho, Zhang Linpeng and Zeng Cheng was elected in the eleven-man squad of 2016 Chinese Super League Team of the Year.

## Transfers
### In
#### Winter

| Squad number | Position | Player | Age | Moving from | Type | Transfer fee | Date |
| 4 | MF | Xu Xin | 21 | Atlético Madrid B | Transfer | €4.3 million | 25 December 2015 |
| 18 | MF | Li Yuanyi | 22 | Leixões | Loan returned | - | 25 December 2015 |
| | MF | Peng Xinli | 24 | Chongqing Lifan | Loan returned | - | 31 December 2015 |
| | FW | Yang Chaosheng | 22 | Liaoning Whowin | Loan returned | - | 31 December 2015 |
| | DF | Yi Teng | 25 | Hangzhou Greentown | Loan returned | - | 31 December 2015 |
| | MF | Feng Renliang | 27 | Beijing Renhe | Loan returned | - | 31 December 2015 |
| 55 | DF | Hu Bowen | 21 | Qingdao Hainiu | Loan returned | - | 31 December 2015 |
| | DF | Zhang Hongnan | 24 | Shenzhen FC | Loan returned | - | 31 December 2015 |
| | FW | Shewket Yalqun | 22 | Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard | Loan returned | - | 31 December 2015 |
| | MF | Alessandro Diamanti | 32 | Watford | Loan returned | - | 13 January 2016 |
| 23 | DF | Han Pengfei | 22 | Mafra | Transfer | Undisclosed | 18 January 2016 |
| 9 | FW | Jackson Martínez | 29 | Atlético Madrid | Transfer | €42 million | 3 February 2016 |
| 32 | GK | Liu Dianzuo | 25 | Guangzhou R&F | Transfer | Undisclosed | 12 February 2016 |

#### Summer

| Squad number | Position | Player | Age | Moving from | Type | Transfer fee | Date |
| | MF | Alessandro Diamanti | 33 | Atalanta | Loan returned | - | 1 July 2016 |
| 15 | MF | Zhang Wenzhao | 29 | Shandong Luneng Taishan | Transfer | Undisclosed | 7 July 2016 |
| | MF | Wang Junhui | 21 | Shijiazhuang Ever Bright | Loan return | - | 15 July 2016 |
| 56 | DF | Guo Jing | 19 | Oriental Dragon | Transfer | Undisclosed | 15 July 2016 |

### Out
#### Winter

| Squad number | Position | Player | Age | Moving to | Type | Transfer fee | Date |
| 56 | FW | Robinho | 31 | - | End of contract | - | 31 December 2015 |
| | MF | Feng Renliang | 27 | Beijing Renhe | Transfer | Undisclosed | 1 January 2016 |
| | DF | Zhang Hongnan | 24 | Shenzhen FC | Transfer | Free | 1 January 2016 |
| | FW | Shewket Yalqun | 22 | Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard | Loan | Undisclosed | 1 January 2016 |
| | MF | Alessandro Diamanti | 32 | Atalanta | Loan | Undisclosed | 13 January 2016 |
| 34 | MF | Wang Junhui | 20 | Shijiazhuang Ever Bright | Loan | Free | 16 January 2016 |
| 22 | GK | Li Shuai | 33 | Shanghai Greenland Shenhua | Transfer | Undisclosed | 19 January 2016 |
| | DF | Yi Teng | 25 | Beijing Renhe | Loan | Undisclosed | 20 January 2016 |
| 21 | MF | Zhao Xuri | 30 | Tianjin Quanjian | Transfer | Undisclosed | 21 January 2016 |
| 9 | FW | Elkeson | 26 | Shanghai SIPG | Transfer | ¥132 million (€18.5 million) | 21 January 2016 |
| | MF | Peng Xinli | 24 | Chongqing Lifan | Loan | Undisclosed | 19 February 2016 |
| 18 | FW | Dong Xuesheng | 26 | Hebei China Fortune | Transfer | Undisclosed | 25 February 2016 |
| 14 | GK | Liu Weiguo | 23 | Liaoning Whowin | Loan | Free | 26 February 2016 |
| | FW | Yang Chaosheng | 22 | Wuhan Zall | Loan | Undisclosed | 26 February 2016 |
| 49 | MF | Wang Rui | 22 | Wuhan Zall | Loan | Undisclosed | 26 February 2016 |
| 8 | MF | Renê Júnior | 26 | - | Released | - | March 2016 |
| 41 | DF | Gong Liangxuan | 22 | Sichuan Longfor | Loan | Undisclosed | March 2016 |
| | MF | Zheng Jie | 20 | Lijiang Jiayunhao | Loan | Undisclosed | March 2016 |

#### Summer

| Squad number | Position | Player | Age | Moving to | Type | Transfer fee | Date |
| 55 | DF | Hu Bowen | 22 | Shenyang Urban | Loan | Free | 21 June 2016 |
| 24 | FW | Liang Xueming | 20 | Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng | Loan | Free | 29 June 2016 |
| 44 | DF | Liu Hao | 20 | Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng | Loan | Free | 29 June 2016 |
| 18 | MF | Li Yuanyi | 22 | Tianjin Teda | Loan | Undisclosed | 15 July 2016 |
| 60 | MF | Zhang Jiaqi | 24 | Qingdao Huanghai | Loan | Undisclosed | 15 July 2016 |
| | MF | Wang Junhui | 21 | Wuhan Zall | Loan | Undisclosed | 15 July 2016 |
| 39 | FW | Wang Jingbin | 21 | Fagiano Okayama | Loan | Undisclosed | 29 July 2016 |
| | MF | Alessandro Diamanti | 33 | Palermo | Transfer | Free | 29 August 2016 |
| 46 | DF | Yang Zhaohui | 18 | Vizela | Loan | Free | September 2016 |

## Coaching staff

| Position | Name |
| Head coach | Luiz Felipe Scolari |
| Assistant coaches | Ivo Wortmann Flávio Murtosa Hao Wei |
| Goalkeeping coach | Carlos Pracidelli |
| Fitness coach | Darlan Schneider Rudy Pracidelli |
| Physiotherapist | Feliciano Fontoura |
| Team doctor | Gustavo Emilio Arcos Campos |
| Reserve team coach | Hao Wei |
| Reserve team assistant coach | Chang Weiwei Liu Zhiyu |
| Reserve team goalkeeping coach | Wang Weiman |
| Reserve team Physiotherapist | Wan Bingfeng |
| Academy director / U-17 team coach | Marco Pezzaiuoli |

## Pre-season and friendlies
### Training matches

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result | Scorers |
| 2016-02-06 | South China | H | 1–1 | Zheng Long |
| 2016-02-11 | Al Shabab | A | 4–1 | Jackson Martínez, Alan (3) |
| 2016-02-14 | F.C. Copenhagen | N | 1–3 | Zheng Long |
| 2016-02-16 | Al Urooba | N | Cancelled | |
| 2016-10-08 | Lee Man Rangers | H | 4–0 | Alan, Jackson Martínez, Ricardo Goulart |

### FC Schalke 04 China Tour
## Competitions

Win  Draw  Loss

### Chinese Super League
#### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao (C) | 30 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 62 | 19 | +43 | 64 | Qualification to Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Jiangsu Suning | 30 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 53 | 33 | +20 | 57 | Qualification to Champions League group stage |
| 3 | Shanghai SIPG | 30 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 56 | 32 | +24 | 52 | Qualification to Champions League play-off round |
| 4 | Shanghai Greenland Shenhua | 30 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 46 | 31 | +15 | 48 | Qualification to Champions League play-off round |
| 5 | Beijing Guoan | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 43 | |
* ↑ Shanghai Greenland Shenhua qualified for the 2017 AFC Champions League Qualifying play-offs round as Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao and Jiangsu Suning are 2016 Chinese FA Cup finalists.

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 30 October 2016. Source: Competitive Matches

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 21 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Ground | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H |
| Result | L | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | D | D | W | D | W | W | W | W | L | W | D | L | D | W | W | D | W | D | L | W |
| Position | 11 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |

#### Matches
### AFC Champions League
#### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sydney FC | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 8 | |
| 4 | Pohang Steelers | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 5 | |

## Statistics

    As of 27 November 2016

### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos. | Player | Super League | Super League | Super League | FA Cup | FA Cup | FA Cup | Champions League | Champions League | Champions League | Super Cup | Super Cup | Super Cup | Total | Total | Total |
| No. | Pos. | Player | Apps. | Starts | Goals | Apps. | Starts | Goals | Apps. | Starts | Goals | Apps. | Starts | Goals | Apps. | Starts | Goals |
| 2 | MF | Liao Lisheng | 15 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 6 | 1 |
| 3 | DF | Mei Fang | 25 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 31 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | Xu Xin | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | Zhang Linpeng | 16 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 27 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | Feng Xiaoting | 22 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 32 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | Alan Carvalho | 27 | 24 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 30 | 18 |
| 8 | MF | Paulinho | 30 | 30 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 43 | 11 |
| 9 | FW | Jackson Martínez | 10 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 11 | 4 |
| 10 | MF | Zheng Zhi | 26 | 25 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 38 | 1 |
| 11 | MF | Ricardo Goulart | 29 | 29 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 43 | 43 | 28 |
| 12 | MF | Wang Shangyuan | 23 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 20 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | Zhang Wenzhao | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | Huang Bowen | 28 | 24 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 33 | 2 |
| 17 | DF | Liu Jian | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 1 |
| 18 | MF | Li Yuanyi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | GK | Zeng Cheng | 23 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 34 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | Yu Hanchao | 19 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 17 | 4 |
| 23 | DF | Han Pengfei | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Zou Zheng | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | Zheng Long | 19 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 10 | 4 |
| 28 | DF | Kim Young-gwon | 15 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| 29 | FW | Gao Lin | 28 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 35 | 12 |
| 31 | MF | Zhang Aokai | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | GK | Liu Dianzuo | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| 33 | DF | Rong Hao | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 15 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | Li Xuepeng | 12 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 18 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | Chen Zepeng | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | 62 | | | 17 | | | 5 | | | 2 | | | 86 |

### Goalscorers

| Rank | Player | No. | Pos. | Super League | FA Cup | Champions League | Super Cup | Total |
| 1 | Ricardo Goulart | 11 | MF | 19 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 28 |
| 2 | Alan Carvalho | 7 | FW | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Gao Lin | 29 | FW | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| 4 | Paulinho | 8 | MF | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Jackson Martínez | 9 | FW | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Yu Hanchao | 20 | MF | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Zheng Long | 27 | FW | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Huang Bowen | 16 | MF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Liao Lisheng | 2 | MF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Zheng Zhi | 10 | MF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Liu Jian | 17 | DF | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Own goals | Own goals | Own goals | Own goals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | 62 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 87 |

### Assists

| Rank | Player | No. | Pos. | Super League | FA Cup | Champions League | Super Cup | Total |
| 1 | Gao Lin | 29 | FW | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 2 | Alan Carvalho | 7 | FW | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 3 | Ricardo Goulart | 11 | MF | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 4 | Huang Bowen | 16 | MF | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 5 | Zheng Zhi | 10 | MF | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 6 | Yu Hanchao | 20 | MF | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 6 | Rong Hao | 33 | DF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | Paulinho | 8 | MF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | Jackson Martínez | 9 | FW | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Zheng Long | 27 | MF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Li Xuepeng | 35 | DF | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Liao Lisheng | 2 | MF | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Xu Xin | 4 | MF | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Liu Jian | 17 | DF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 50 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 68 |

### Disciplinary record

| No. | Pos. | Player | Super League | Super League | Super League | FA Cup | FA Cup | FA Cup | Champions League | Champions League | Champions League | Super Cup | Super Cup | Super Cup | Total | Total | Total |
| 3 | DF | Mei Fang | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | Xu Xin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | Zhang Linpeng | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | Feng Xiaoting | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | Alan Carvalho | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Paulinho | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | Jackson Martínez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Zheng Zhi | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | Ricardo Goulart | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | Wang Shangyuan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | Zhang Wenzhao | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | Huang Bowen | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | Liu Jian | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | GK | Zeng Cheng | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Zou Zheng | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | Kim Young-gwon | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | FW | Gao Lin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | DF | Rong Hao | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | Li Xuepeng | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | Chen Zepeng | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTALS | TOTALS | TOTALS | 56 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 1 | 0 |