Central Coast plan to employ a siege mentality when they face the full might of one of the world’s richest clubs Guangzhou Evergrande in their Asian Champions League (ACL) clash on Wednesday.

The Mariners take on the the Chinese giants, who have Italian supercoach Marcello Lippi at the helm, in their round-of-16 ACL match at Bluetongue Stadium.

Unlike the A-League champions, who operate on a budget of $2.5 million, Chinese heavyweights Guangzhou are a team worth $40 million – and that excludes the salary of their World Cup-winning coach Lippi.

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They also boast the third-highest paid player in the world in Dario Conca.

Not to mention fellow members of the dangerous foreign contingent in experienced Brazilian Muriqui and ex-Borussia Dortmund striker Lucas Barrios, who – along with the handful of Chinese internationals including gloveman Zeng Cheng, skipper Zheng Zhi and forward Gao Lin – form one formidable side.

The entire star-studded line-up will be on show in Gosford as Lippi, who guided Guangzhou to the Chinese Super League championship last year, has his sights set on lifting the ACL trophy.

But Mariners coach Graham Arnold loves nothing more than being the underdog and, fresh from leading his side to the A-League championship, he won’t be intimidated.

“That’s the type of situation you love being in. It’s backs against the wall,” Arnold said.

“We’ll come out fighting. We’ve got nothing to lose so we’ll have a siege mentality.



“We’re against the rest of the world – that’s the picture I try to paint to the players.

“No one expects us to do anything and here we are in the last 16 of the Asian Champions League.

“We hold no fear – make no mistake about that.”

Lippi revealed he’d used a local spy in his former Juventus charge Alessandro Del Piero to find out more about the Mariners and said, from what the Sydney FC star told him, he’s expecting tough competition.

“I’m often in contact with Alessandro and obviously we have talked about the Mariners and he has confirmed the things that I have seen on video that they are a very-organised team full of enthusiasm,” Lippi said through a translator.

Lippi said the huge difference in the side’s finances wouldn’t come into play.

“From a team who has won their country’s championship, I expect a team with quality and technique who put in all their effort,” he said.

“This is what I’ll be expecting from the Mariners tomorrow and none of this has anything to do with what financial resources they have.”



The Mariners will travel to Guangzhou next week for the second-leg encounter with the winner advancing to the ACL quarter-finals.

“A clean sheet is very important tomorrow,” Arnold said.

“If we can stop them from getting an away goal, then anything is possible in the away leg.”