Beijing Guoan players celebrate winning the Chinese FA Cup after defeating Henan FC 3-0 in the final on December 6, 2025 in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province. Photo: VCG

Chinese Super League (CSL) giants Beijing Guoan delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Henan FC to lift their fifth Chinese FA Cup title on Saturday night in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province. In doing so, they ended a seven-year trophy drought, erasing this season's mounting frustrations and igniting a spark for the club's new season. 

For a club that began the 2025 season with high ambitions, the journey was anything but smooth. In the CSL, Guoan looked like a serious title contender early on. By mid-season, they stayed at the top of the league table, riding a 15-match unbeaten run that buoyed the hopes of winning their first league title since 2009. 

Yet that promise unraveled over the second half of the campaign. Defensive frailties, tactical inflex-ibility, and virtually every strong opponent finding ways to beat them turned the second half of the season into a nightmare. Guoan fell from front-runner to a distant fourth, a dramatic collapse that exposed raw nerves, questionable preparation, and perhaps over-reliance on individual talent. 

The club even had to make a drastic head coach change after an underwhelming continental run in the Asian Champions League 2, where they were eliminated at the group stage. Then-coach Quique Setien was dismissed and assistant coach Ramiro Amarelle stepped in as caretaker. 

The Chinese FA Cup final felt like much more like the final test of Guoan's season. The emphatic 3-0 win, dominated by Fabio Abreu's hat trick, was cathartic, as it helped the team to recover from a low point in the second half of the season.

That makes the 2025 FA Cup victory a form of redemption. It halted the slide and restored honor. It reminds supporters, players and club leadership that, regardless of missteps, Guoan remain a competitive force in the CSL. 

Indeed, the fifth FA Cup win brings the club level with the historical big names in domestic knockout competition and re-establishes them as one of China's most decorated sides in FA Cup history, second only to Shandong Taishan who won the competition eight times.

But beyond the symbolism, the timing and nature of the triumph matter. For a club whose league season fizzled out, a knockout competition rewards mental strength and tactical adaptability. 

Under interim coach Amarelle, Guoan reversed their downward spiral and delivered when pressure peaked. That suggests the club still possesses the core attributes of ambition and hunger, even if consistency eluded them during the league grind.

Moreover, this FA Cup win resets the stakes for next season. A cup triumph guarantees not only rewards, but also a platform for future ambitions: potential qualification for the continental competition Asian Champions League Elite, renewed hope for the Super Cup title, and a rebuilt sense of identity. It offers a foundation on which to rebuild a more stable structure after a turbulent season.

It is hard to overstate how important confidence is in football. A bad season can drain it, but a trophy can also refill it, for players, coaches and fans alike. For Guoan supporters, the 2025 FA Cup feels like vindication: proof that their loyalty, patience and even the criticism weren't wasted. For the board and coaching staff, it's a second chance to learn and avoid repeating the mistakes that cost them the chance for the league title.

Of course, trophies don't solve every problem. Guoan still must confront issues such as squad depth and the tactical rigidity that surfaced during the league season. However, the Chinese FA Cup win buys them time to rebuild and re-imagine. It gives them breathing room, and a renewed man-date from supporters to aim high.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn