Let no more talk of Farioli. From China comes the rock of the century

O Dalian Yingbo succeeded, at the end of Sunday morning, Chinese champion, thanks to the triumph won over the Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, at the Dalian Barracuda Bay Stadium, by 3-1, thanks to the goals signed by Mingrui Yang, Liao Jintao and Shan Huang, who deserved ‘response’ by the Portuguese average Bruno Xadas, in converting a great penalty.

With the result obtained at the meeting of the 30th and final journey, the formation in which also Portuguese Pedro Delgado (who did not play, for having seen a red card in the defeat suffered last weekend, in the visit to Yunnan Yukun, for 4-3) gave the championship ended with 52 points, as many as Chengdu Rongcheng, who had advantage in direct confrontation, thanks to the triumphs won in both rounds, by 2-0 and 0-1.

In this way, he is consummated who will be remembered as the ‘truck of the century’. This is because Chengdu Rongcheng came to have in hand a 12 point lead advantage, which squandered scandalously, with four losses (before Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, by 0-1, Shanghai Porto, by 3-0, Dalian Yingbo, by 0-1, and also this Sunday, Shandong Taishan, by 3-2) and a draw (with Henan FC, ‘zero’), in the last five rounds.

Now, in this same period, Dalian Yingbo has totaled five consecutive victories (over Qingdao Hainiu, by 2-1, Qingdao West Coast, by 0-4, Shenzhen Peng City, by 3-1, Chengdu Rongcheng, by 0-1, and now Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, by 3-1), thus completing a recovery that many considered impossible at a given time.

The best scorer of the competition was Oscar Maritu, who added 23 goals after 30 days, two of which this Sunday, which proved decisive for the triumph achieved by ‘your’ Yunnan Yukun over the Wuhan Three Towns, by 2-1. In the second place was Jhonder Cádiz, former player of Benfica, Famalicão, Vitória FC, Moreirense, National and Union of Madeira, with 22... despite the attempt marked precisely in this game.

Let no more talk of Farioli

The ‘hecatombe’ of Dalian Yingbo was of such a size that eventually eclipsed the one that Ajax lived, in the last sport season of 2024/25, when, under the orders of Francesco Farioli, he saw escape, in the space of five journeys, a nine-point ‘cushion’ in the leadership of Eredivisie and let the title of Dutch champion escape to the eternal rival, the PSV.

At the time, the historic Amsterdam formation ended with two defeats (before Utrecht, by 4-0, and NEC, by 0-3), two draws (with Sparta Rotterdam, by one ball, and Groningen, by two) and only one victory (over Twente, by 2-0), while Eindhoven's triumphed, then before Twente (by 2-0), Fortuna Sittard (by 4-1), Feyenoord (by 2-3), Heracles Almelo (by 4-1) and Sparta Rotterdam (by 1-3), raising the trophy by a mere point.

The Italian coach left Johan Cruyff Arena ‘washed’ in tears, but managed to rise again, and, just a year later, he led FC Porto to win the Portuguese champion title, with a clear six-point difference over the second ranked Sporting. It remains to be seen now whether Chengdu Rongcheng's helmsman, the Australian John Aloisi, will be able to make such a great recovery.