Yunnan Flying Tigers Football Club (Chinese: 云南飞虎足球俱乐部) is a professional Chinese football club based in Lijiang, Yunnan and their home stadium is the Lijiang Sports Development Centre Stadium that has a seating capacity of 22,400. The club's current major investors are the Kunming Minjian Mechanical & Electrical Equipment Limited Company along with Lijiang Materials Co. Ltd. and Lijiang Lijiang Taihe Group.
 | |||
| Full name | Yunnan Flying Tigers Football Club 云南飞虎足球俱乐部 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Flying Tigers | ||
| Founded | 2012 | ||
| Dissolved | 2019 | ||
| Ground | Lijiang Sports Development Centre Stadium, Lijiang | ||
| Capacity | 22,400 | ||
| 2018 | League Two, 20th | ||
History
After the disbandment of Yunnan Lijiang Dongba F.C. in 2006 it was decided by the Yunnan Sports Bureau, Yunnan Football Association, Lijiang Municipal People's Government, Lijiang Sports Bureau and Lijiang Football Association to help form another professional football team to help represent the province.[1] This was realised in September 2012 when Lijiang Jiayunhao F.C. was officially registered within the Chinese football association to participate the 2013 China League Two division and by December 5, 2012, Niu Hongli was appointed as their first Head coach.[2] The Lijiang Sports Development Centre Stadium was chosen as their home location and the team played in an all green home kit.[3] On May 6, 2013, Kunming Minjian Mechanical & Electrical Equipment Limited Company along with Lijiang Materials Co. Ltd. and Lijiang Lijiang Taihe Group. would all become major investors within the team.[4][5]
In their debut season the club would reach the divisions play-off where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Hebei Zhongji 3–2 on aggregate.[6] By the 2015 league season the club would change their crest and colours to blue.[7] After several seasons where they continued to reach the division play-off the club finally gained promotion when the club's Head coach Zhang Biao led them to win the division after defeating Baoding Yingli ETS 2–0 in the play-off final.In January 2017, Lijiang Jiayunhao F.C. changed their name to Yunnan Lijiang F.C..[8] Their nickname Flying Tigers is a homage to the famous 1st American Volunteer Group in World War II, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, based in Yunnan Province in China.[9]
In January 2018, Yunnan Lijiang F.C. changed their name to Yunnan Flying Tigers F.C.[10] following their relegation back to China League Two after finishing last in the 2017 China League One. During the season, the club's chairman, He Rongyao, was arrested, and the club was revealed for arrearage of salary at the end of 2018 season.[11] On 26 February 2019, Yunnan Flying Tigers officially withdrew from China League Two, and was dissolved.[12]
Name history
- 2012–2016 Lijiang Jiayunhao F.C. 丽江嘉云昊
- 2017 Yunnan Lijiang F.C. 云南丽江
- 2018 Yunnan Flying Tigers F.C. 云南飞虎
Managerial history
Niu Hongli (2013)- Li Hu (2014)
- Wang Zheng (2015–2016)
- Zhang Biao (2016)
Lim Jong-heon (2017)- Zhang Biao (caretaker) (2017)
Kurt Garger (2017–2018)- Huang Yan (2018)
Honours
Results
All-time league rankings
As of the end of 2018 season.[13]
| Year | Div | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Pos. | FA Cup | Super Cup | AFC | Att./G | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 22 1 | 6[14] | DNE | DNQ | DNQ | Lijiang Sports Development Centre Stadium | |
| 2014 | 3 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 26 1 | 8[15] | R4 | DNQ | DNQ | ||
| 2015 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 24 1 | 7[16] | R2 | DNQ | DNQ | 6,287 | |
| 2016 | 3 | 23 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 21 | 11 | 44 | W | R4 | DNQ | DNQ | 7,356 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 30 | 4 | 9 | 17 | 31 | 62 | −31 | 21 | 16 | R3 | DNQ | DNQ | 4,929 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 28 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 30 | 27 | 3 | 33 | 20 | R2 | DNQ | DNQ | 1,308 |
- ^1 In group stage.
Key
- Pld = Played
- W = Games won
- D = Games drawn
- L = Games lost
- F = Goals for
- A = Goals against
- Pts = Points
- Pos = Final position
- DNQ = Did not qualify
- DNE = Did not enter
- NH = Not Held
- – = Does Not Exist
- R1 = Round 1
- R2 = Round 2
- R3 = Round 3
- R4 = Round 4
- F = Final
- SF = Semi-finals
- QF = Quarter-finals
- R16 = Round of 16
- Group = Group stage
- GS2 = Second Group stage
- QR1 = First Qualifying Round
- QR2 = Second Qualifying Round
- QR3 = Third Qualifying Round