According to Forbes, Hebei are the 7th most valuable football team in China, with a team value of $90 million, and an estimated revenue of $22 million in 2015.[1]
History
Hebei Zhongji was founded on May 28, 2010 by the Hebei football association and Hebei Zhongji Group who promised to invest three million Yuan a season for next four campaigns.[2] They registered to play within China League Two, third tier of the Chinese football league system, as Hebei Yilinshanzhuang (Simplified Chinese: 河北依林山庄) for sponsorship reason in the 2011 league season. They failed to advance into the Play-offs after finishing 5th place in the group stage. On October 17, 2011, the cooperation relationship between Hebei FA and Hebei Zhongji Group was terminated and Hebei Zhongji Group would take full ownership of the club while the players who were owned by Hebei FA split into a new team called Hebei Youth.[3] At the start of the 2012 league season, Hebei Zhongji would finish 1st place in the North Group with 18 wins, 5 draws and only 1 defeat, however they were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Play-offs by Hubei Huakaier, with the score at 1–1 they lost on the away goals rule. On August 16, 2013 Guo Ruilong was brought in to manage the team for the rest of the 2013 league season, however during his brief tenure at the club he quickly lead them to promotion after coming runners-up at the end of the campaign.[4] Huang Yang was brought in to coach the team during the off season while on December 26, 2013 the club announced that UruguayanNelson Agresta would be the club's first foreign manager.[5]
On January 27, 2015, they changed the team name as Hebei China Fortune (Simplified Chinese: 河北华夏幸福) after being purchased by China Fortune Land Development. Serbian manager Radomir Antić signed a three-year contract with the club on the same day.[6] They changed the club name as Hebei China Fortune F.C. in December 2015 after winning promotion to Chinese Super League in the 2015 season. The club has since expanded its bid for league success by landing international stars such as Gervinho and Ezequiel Lavezzi.[7] As of September 2016, the Chilean Manuel Pelligrini, ex-Villareal, Malaga, Real Madrid and Manchester City, will manage the club, part of a larger plan for Hebei China Fortune and Chinese football to make a great leap forward by the end of the decade.
^河北中基足球俱乐部简介 (in Chinese). hebeifootball.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^最新消息:河北足球正式开始职业俱乐部商业运作 (in Chinese). hebeifootball.com. October 18, 2011. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^河北中基昨日赴昆明冬训 不排除选外籍主帅 (in Chinese). news.gmw.cn. December 3, 2013. Archived from the original on February 5, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^前泰达主帅重返中国 乌拉圭人内尔松挂帅河北中基 (in Chinese). sports.sina.com.cn. December 24, 2013. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^河北中基更名河北华夏幸福 安蒂奇上任签约三年 (in Chinese). sohu.com. January 27, 2015. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ ab足协发布公告：河北中基正式更名为河北华夏幸福 (in Chinese). sina.com. December 15, 2015. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^"CHINA LEAGUE ONE – 2015". uk.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^河北中基 (in Chinese). sodasoccer.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
Chris Coleman
Gao Yao
José Cabello
