When Brazilian star Alexandre Pato jetted out of China for his holidays he played for Tianjin Quanjian. Two months and a dozen arrests later, the club as he knew it is gone.
In its place is a new incarnation, although whether Pato is still there when the Chinese Super League (CSL) season opens in the spring remains to be seen.
A discredited subsidiary of the Quanjian Group remain the owners, according to corporate records, but the club was this week renamed Tianjin Tianhai and placed under the control of the local sports authorities, state media say.
Pato's side is facing a deeply uncertain future, hunting investment and reportedly needing to sell players to survive.
The affair is a microcosm of the worst of football: excessive spending, unpredictability and an overreliance on questionable corporate owners.
Tianjin Quanjian's troubles came to light late last month when its owners, self-styled experts in traditional Chinese medicine, came under scrutiny for their treatment of a young cancer patient.
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The girl was reportedly taken off chemotherapy and instead received alternative healthcare based on Quanjian-produced remedies. She died in December 2015 aged seven.
Quanjian faced a public outcry over the girl's death after an article published on an online health platform in December was shared extensively -- leading to a rapid questioning of other claims it had made for its products.
The company was placed under investigation for alleged pyramid selling and false advertising on January 1, according to Xinhua news agency.
Quanjian's founder Shu Yuhui was among more than a dozen arrested, according to the China Daily.
The company has denied wrongdoing in relation to the girl.
- Largesse -
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- 'Strange feeling' -
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The club's subsequent unravelling has received scant coverage in the state Tianjin Daily, suggesting that authorities are eager to keep a lid on the affair. So what happens now to its fans?