The 2020 season was Beijing Sinobo Guoan F.C.'s 56th season in football competition and the club's 17th consecutive season in the Chinese Super League since the league's founding in the 2004. It is the team's 30th consecutive season in the top flight of Chinese football. It covers a period from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.
Summary
Pre-season Guoan announced a 1-year contract extension for manager Bruno Génésio on 5 December 2019, confirming that he would remain for the start of the 2020 season.
Club veteran and former captain Yang Zhi parted with the club after his contract expired on 31 December 2019. Hu Yanqiang and Zhang Yu also left Guoan for trials at other football clubs. Chi Wenyi and Jin Pengxiang returned from their respective loan spells. Jiang Tao's contract with the club expired at the end of the previous season but was invited to pre-season training with the team.
The team regrouped on 3 January 2020 and headed to Murcia for the first pre-season training camp in hope of gaining fitness and match preparedness. The team participated in two friendlies, in which Guoan won 1–0 against the AFE Trial Team and lost 2–5 against 1. FC Heidenheim. All three Guoan goals came from Renato Augusto.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team altered original plans of training in Hainan and instead traveled to Jeju City on 29 January for further pre-season training after the Lunar New Year. On 30 January, the Chineses Football Association announced that all matches in Chinese soccer would be delayed indefinitely in order to minimize chances for infection. Asian Football Confederation also changed AFC Champions League schedule with Guoan playing first two group stage games away from home.
On 3 February, the club announced the arrival of Tianjin TEDA's Yang Fan. The transfer cost the club ¥2000M and Lei Tenglong joins Tianjin TEDA in the same deal. The club also announced the contract extension to the end of the 2020 season of Jiang Tao.
February On 18 February, Wang Ziming scored the sole goal in the opening game of the season, putting Guoan 0–1 past Chiangrai United in both teams' first match in the AFC Champions League group stage. The team then went on another break as the coronavirus delayed the opening of Chinese Super League. The team planned on regrouping on 10 March for further preparation in the UAE. Players were instructed not to return to China as a measure to prevent infection.
On 23 February, Zhang Yu and Liu Huan's respective loans to Changchun Yatai and Chongqing Lifan were announced. The club announced on 29 February that A Lan would join the team on loan from Guangzhou Evergrande for the season.
March On 2 March, The AFC announced postponement of Champions League matches due to the intensifying COVID-19 pandemic with the second to sixth round of the group stage to be played in May and June, and all previously postponed games must be rescheduled before August. Because of this rescheduling, the team no longer had matches in March and April, and therefore ordered players previously on break abroad to return to China on 9 March. After a short stay in Beijing, the team departed for Kunming on 31 March for a 25-day long preparation.
April Players arrived in Kunming and began training. Li Ke, who was on break in Los Angeles, returned to China and underwent the mandatory 14-day coronavirus quarantine before joining the team in Kunming. On 14 April, AFC announced that previously rescheduled Champions League matches in May and June would be further postponed. The team concluded the Kunming training camp on 24 April and players again went on break. They were ordered not to leave China as the Chinese government restricted reentry in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. China placed a nationwide ban on most foreign visitors, leaving the return date of foreign players, including Augusto, Bakambu, Viera and Fernando, as well as coach Bruno Génésio, unknown. Hou Yongyong and A Lan, although naturalized and allowed to return, faced travel difficulties as the number of international flights are greatly reduced.
May The team regrouped on 11 May and underwent coronavirus testing. After being cleared, team members began their training camp at Beijing Renhe's training facilities. Hou Yongyong and A Lan landed in China on 11 May and 14 May respectively and began their mandatory quarantine per Chinese government regulations. On 16 May, Guoan defeated Beijing Renhe 2–0 in a friendly game with 30-minute halves. Zhang Yuning and Wang Ziming scored for Guoan. On 22 May, Guoan lost 0–2 to Renhe in the second friendly between the two teams.
June Hou Yongyong and A Lan completed their quarantine requirements and joined the team on 3 June and 5 June respectively. On 5 June, Guoan defeated Tianjin TEDA 5–0 in a friendly with goals from Wang Ziming, Zhang Yuning, Jin Pengxiang, and a brace from A Lan. Guoan moved to Gaoxin Training Base in the Fengtai District of Beijing on 8 June and held a public training session on 12 June. However, after the reemergence of coronavirus cases in Beijing's Xinfadi Market, the scheduled friendlies against Hebei China Fortune on 13 June and against Shandong Luneng on 17 and 20 June were cancelled. The team subsequently announced a break on 15 June lasting until 22 June. Everyone involved in training were tested for coronavirus infection and everyone was cleared. The team resumed training at training facilities located in Xianghe, Hebei on 22 June. It was reported on 23 June that Guoan's foreign players and coaches successfully obtained Chinese visa and the team is working on their return following other CSL Super League clubs' success in doing so. Manager Bruno Génésio entered China via Shanghai on 22 June and is currently undergoing mandatory quarantine. Bakambu and two assistant coaches arrived at Shanghai as well on 26 June. Guoan played a friendly against Beijing Sport University F.C. at its Xianghe training camp on 26 June as well. Guoan won 4–3 with Piao Cheng scoring two and Zhang Xizhe and Wang Ziming each netting one.
July The Chinese FA announced on 1 July that the 2020 season of Chinese Super League would commence on 25 July. The 16 teams would be split into two groups competing respectively in Dalian and Suzhou. Guoan was placed into Group B and will play in Suzhou. The first four places of each group would enter the Championship stage to compete for the overall league winner, and the bottom four places of each group would enter the Relegation stage, through which three relegation teams would be determined. The summer transfer window also opened on 1 July and is set to last until 30 July. Chi Wenyi left the team for Hebei China Fortune.
Guoan flew to Shanghai on 2 July for final preparation before the league's official start and played 4 friendly matches to enhance match preparedness. Guoan played Zhejiang Greentown in a friendly on 4 July and won 1–0 courtesy of A Lan's goal. On 5 July, Viera arrived in Shanghai while Kim Min-jae landed in Shenyang, and both are undergoing mandatory COVID-19 quarantine. Augusto and Fernando landed in Shanghai on 7 July aboard a club-chartered plane, while manager Bruno Génésio completed his quarantine requirement and joined team training. The team lost a friendly 1–4 against Nantong Zhiyun on 8 July with A Lan's penalty the only Guoan goal. Bakambu completed his quarantine and joined team training on 10 July. On 11 July, Guoan won 6–1 against Shanghai Jiading with A Lan and Zhang Yuning each scoring a brace along with goals from Wang Ziming and Ba Dun. 14 July saw Guoan victorious against Zhejiang Greentown in a friendly thanks to a penalty from A Lan and a goal from Bakambu. On 17 July, Guoan emerged victorious in a friendly against Shanghai Shenhua with Hou Yongyong scoring in the 70th minute. The team headed to Suzhou on 19 July ahead of the opening league match. 20 July saw Viera and Kim complete their respective quarantine requirements and both players joined the team in Suzhou. Augusto and Fernando joined team training after completing their quarantine on 22 July, marking the first time the entire first team squad is together in training since the February.
In the Chinese Super League season opener on 26 July, Li Lei and Piao Cheng netted a goal each to secure a 1–2 victory against Chongqing Lifan despite Yang Fan's red card in the 25th minute.
August On 1 August, Viera's goal in the third minute separated Guoan from Wuhan Zall. In the 6 August game against Tianjin TEDA, goals from A Lan and Zhang Xizhe together with an own goal from opposition player saw Guoan win 1–3. A Lan netted his first goal for the club and Zhang Xizhe became the club's all-time top scorer with 41 goals total. Piao Cheng suffered a torn ACL during the game and will be out for an estimated 8 to 10 months. On 12 August, Jin Taiyan, Zhang Yuning and Hou Yongyong contributed goals in Guoan's 3–1 victory against Hebei China Fortune, extending the team's winning streak to four games as Guoan remains top of the Group B table. On 16 August, Guoan gave up the three goal lead courtesy from Bakambu, A Lan and Hou Yongyong and was only able to manage a 3–3 draw against Qingdao Huanghai. The team suffered its first loss of the season on 22 August against Shanghai SIPG. Despite Bakambu scoring an early lead, the game ended 1–2 in favor of Shanghai SIPG. On 27 August, Guoan's winless streak stretched to 3 games as it tied Shijiazhuang Even Bright 2–2. A Lan scored in the 24th minute to give Guoan an early lead, but Guo Quanbo received a red card for his goalkeeping against an opposition free kick taken quickly. Bakambu scored the equalizing penalty in the 73rd minute.
September On 1 September, Guoan won 5–2 against Chongqing Lifan with Bakambu scoring four and Wang Ziming netting the other, ending Guoan's three-game winless streak. Chinese FA announced the dates to CSL championship stage and Chinese FA Cup matches on 2 September. Guoan is drawn against Qingdao Huanghai in the FA Cup and the match is set to take place on 19 September. 6 September saw Guoan concede two after leading through goals from Bakambu and Zhang Yuning, resulting in a 2–2 draw against Wuhan Zall. Guoan kept its first clean sheet in eight rounds in the 10 September match against Tianjin TEDA, winning 2–0 as Zhang Yuning and Augusto netted ond in each half. On 15 September, Guoan signed Bosnian center back Toni Šunjić from Russian club Dynamo Moscow. On the same day, Guoan led Hebei China Fortune 3–1 at the 88th minute with goals from Augusto, Bakambu and A Lan, but only managed to produce a 3–3 draw at the final whistle.
On 19 September, Guoan played Qingdao Huanghai in the first round of the Chinese FA Cup. Cléo scored the opener in the 31st minute for Huanghai from a foul that resulted in a penalty. A Lan failed to convert the penalty from an opposition handball in the box but managed to score the rebound, tying the game just before halftime. A Lan scored a header in the 69th minute to put Guoan in the lead. Zou Dehai secured Guoan's win when he held onto Cléo penalty in the 91st minute. Guoan advances to the next round with a result of 2–1.