The Guangzhou derby or the Canton derby (simplified Chinese: 广州德比; traditional Chinese: 廣州打吡; pinyin: guǎngzhōu Débǐ) is the name given to a football derby contested by any two teams in the city of Guangzhou, China. The term specifically refers to individual matches between the teams, but can also be used to describe the general rivalry between the different clubs.[1] Guangzhou Apollo (predecessor of Guangzhou) against Guangzhou Matsunichi (1995–2000) and Guangzhou against Guangzhou City are ranked as two of the most ferocious Guangzhou Derbies.[2]
Clubs
As of 2024 season, there are two clubs in the Chinese Super League, China League One and China League Two that play in Guangzhou:
- Guangzhou (League One)
- Guangdong GZ-Power (League Two)
Former clubs in the highest league include Guangdong Hongyuan F.C. (Jia-A 1994-1997), Guangzhou Matsunichi F.C. (Jia-A 1996 & 1998-1999) and Guangzhou City (CSL 2012-2022). Guangzhou Baiyunshan F.C., Guangdong Xiongying F.C. and Guangdong Sunray Cave F.C. were formerly in the second-tier league.
Guangzhou Apollo v Guangzhou Matsunichi
History
When professionalism was established within the Chinese football leagues in 1994, it opened the door for more than one team within each region. This saw the establishment of Guangzhou Matsunichi which used to be the youth academy of Guangzhou FC but were sold off to Matsunichi Digital Holdings Limited.[3] Direct ties between these two teams also saw them share the Yuexiushan Stadium. In their first meeting in the first round of the 1995 Chinese FA Cup, Matsunichi beat Guangzhou FC 4–3 on aggregate.[4] For a brief period during the 1998 season, both teams were in the top tier with Matsunichi finishing higher than Guangzhou FC. On 9 August 1998 in the second Guangzhou Derby that season, a Chinese first-tier league record of five red cards and nine yellow cards was issued. Apollo's Peter Blazincic, Wen Junwu and Mai Guangliang as well as Matsunichi's Leonardo Jara and Tu Shengqiao were sent off during the match.[5] The rivalry reached its peak and subsequent conclusion during the 2000 season with both clubs in the second tier fighting relegation. On 15 July 2000, Guangzhou FC won 3–1 against Matsunichi which inevitability helped lead to Matsunichi's relegation, causing Matsunichi to disband at the end of the season.[6][7]
Official match results
Guangzhou Apollo win Draw Guangzhou Matsunichi win
Statistics
| Matches | Apollo wins | Draws | Matsunichi wins | Apollo goals | Matsunichi goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Jia-A League | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Chinese Jia-B League | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Chinese FA Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Official matches | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 11 |
Guangzhou v Guangzhou City
History
When Guangzhou R&F (predecessor of Guangzhou City) moved to the city of Guangzhou, a local derby, often referred to as the Canton derby, was born.[8] The first Canton derby was at Yuexiushan Stadium on 16 March 2012 as Guangzhou Evergrande (predecessor of Guangzhou) lost 2–0 against Guangzhou R&F.[9] Relations between the two club owners remain cordial off the pitch and club owners Xu Jiayin and Zhang Li were seen enjoying a meal together instead of watching the second derby in 2012 which Guangzhou R&F also won.[10][11]
Official match results
Guangzhou win Draw Guangzhou city win
Statistics
Statistics as of 10 Dec 2022.
| Matches | Guangzhou wins | Draws | Guangzhou City wins | Guangzhou goals | Guangzhou City goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Super League | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 45 | 32 |
| Chinese FA Cup | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 9 |
| Official matches | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 59 | 41 |
Top goalscorers
Below is the list of players who have scored at least two goals in official meetings.
