At 54, Li Ming Blasts the Entire Guoan Squad: “If Anyone Slacks Off Because of Unpaid Wages, I’ll Pay You to Leave—Immediately.”

On December 27, Beijing Guoan officially announced that 54-year-old Li Ming has stepped down, bringing an end to his nine-year tenure as the club’s general manager. Shortly afterward, journalist Zhao Yu revealed a striking moment from two months earlier—when Li Ming erupted in the dressing room and delivered a blunt message to the squad.

The incident traced back to October 26, during Round 28 of the Chinese Super League—the penultimate matchday. Guoan suffered a shocking 2–4 home defeat to Qingdao Hainiu, marking their fifth loss in six league games. At that low point, morale had hit rock bottom, and many outside the club were openly pessimistic about Guoan’s chances in the upcoming FA Cup final.

Li Ming, deeply dissatisfied with the team’s performance and mentality, went to the training base after the loss and confronted the players in a meeting room. His words were sharp and direct.

“Losing like this,” he told them, “makes every one of you a loser. And if you fail to win the FA Cup final, that makes you an even bigger loser.”

At the time, there were reports that player wages had been delayed. Li Ming believed that this could be affecting effort and intensity on the pitch—and he made it clear he would not accept that as an excuse.

“If anyone is playing poorly because you haven’t been paid yet,” he said, “stand up right now and tell me. I’ll have the club transfer the money to you immediately—then take it and get out.”

According to the account, the room fell completely silent after his outburst.

What followed, however, was a noticeable turnaround. Guoan finished the league season with two straight wins. Then, on December 6, the team—despite not being widely favored—dominated Henan 3–0 in the FA Cup final to lift the trophy. It would ultimately become the final title of Li Ming’s era at the club.

Reactions from supporters have been divided. Some praised the message as a necessary demand for professionalism, while others questioned the logic of using unpaid wages as a motivational threat—arguing that wage delays should never happen in the first place.