Guangzhou Evergrande captain Zheng Zhi believes his clubs success in this season's Asian Champions League shows the football world that China can be competitive.
The Chinese Super League side overcame South Korea's FC Seoul on away goals after the two-legged final ended 3-3 on aggregate to become the first club from the world's most populous country since 1990 to take out the title.
Midfielder Zheng, who has previously played with Charlton Athletic and Celtic, feels Guangzhou's triumph can put Chinese football back on the map.
"This shows the world that Chinese clubs are competitive in Asia and it should give Chinese clubs more confidence in the AFC Champions League," said Zheng.
"In recent years the winners of the AFC Champions League have been from either Japan or Korea, so hopefully our victory can have a positive impact for clubs in China.
"It is very difficult to win the AFC Champions League and I am sure that it brings joy to fans in Guangzhou and also the whole country. We are very happy as it is a historical moment."
