Guangzhou Evergrande win sixth straight Chinese Super League title

Posted Monday, October 24, 2016 by ESPN

Former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho scored for Guangzhou.

Guangzhou Evergrande clinched a record sixth straight Chinese Super League title on Sunday as a 1-1 draw with Yanbian Funde meant they cannot be caught with two games remaining.

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Paulinho scored on the stroke of half-time to give Luiz Felipe Scolari's the lead.

And although South Korean Yoon Bit-Garam levelled the scores with two minutes remaining, Guangzhou were able to celebrate.

"I'm very happy that we nailed down the title and achieved our mission of winning a sixth title in a row," Scolari said.

"Today our opponents did a great job. They fought hard and they were very serious about this match.

"I am so happy with this result and I have to thank the fans so much and also show my appreciation to my hard-working players. This team deserves all the applause.

"This title has been a difficult one for us because we have had so many injuries and the players have sacrificed a lot."

Guangzhou remain seven points clear of second placed Jiangsu Suning, who drew 2-2 with Chongqing Lifan, extending a remarkable run of success since gaining promotion to the top division at the start of 2011.

The title is Scolari's second in a row since taking over from Fabio Cannavaro last year, but the Brazilian's future remains uncertain.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season and he has yet to begin negotiations on a new deal.

"Personally, I'd like to complete my current agreement with the club," he said. "There is no substantial progress about a future contract."