SIPG refutes claims Hulk struck Guizhou coach
Print Edition
SHANGHAI SIPG has refuted claims made by Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng FC that its assistant coach was punched by Brazil striker Hulk during their Chinese Super League match on Saturday.
Controversy marred SIPG’s comfortable 3-0 win at Shanghai Stadium after the visitors made the allegation in their post-match press conference.
Guizhou head coach Li Bing claimed assistant coach Yu Ming was hit by Hulk and demanded the Chinese Football Association investigate the incident.
“There was some argument and Hulk abused our assistant coach when we were in the players’ tunnel. When we walked up to him, he hit our assistant coach Yu Ming with his fist, and Yu fell to the ground,” said Li. “We looked for the referee and match supervisor. They didn’t show up before the start of the second half.”
Yu told reporters that Hulk hit him in the face during the argument. “Hulk abused us in Portuguese during the match, a language we can understand. When I walked towards him in the tunnel, he hit me and I fell to the ground. We were then separated by security,” Yu said.
“We want top-level foreign players to help us. We hope they can help China’s soccer with their professionalism... They are very skillful, but you cannot look down on the Chinese,” he added.
Villas-Boas said he did not see the incident. “I was the first one in the dressing room as always to prepare my notes,” said the Portuguese. “Hulk was the second to arrive, so I doubt anything happened.”
The two teams did exchange words in the first half when Villas-Boas kicked a ball back on the pitch, but Guizhou coaches suggested that AVB was interrupting the match.
AVB’s English interpreter Zhai Zongxin said he was present during the angry exchanges but denied there was any physical contact as some reports claimed.
“Both sides were a bit emotional in the first half. In the players’ tunnel, Hulk and a Guizhou assistant coach argued with each other, but there was no physical contact. When Hulk walked ahead, another Guizhou assistant coach called him from the back. Hulk turned and wanted to argue with him before the two were separated by club staff and security,” Zhai wrote in his WeChat post.
It was Li’s last match as Guizhou head coach. Former Beijing Guo’an and Shanghai Greenland Shenhua coach Gregorio Manzano will take over from today.
SIPG issued a statement yesterday saying the match supervisor and police watched the video footage and there were no signs of “physical violence”.
“Guizhou head coach Li Bing and assistant coach Yu Ming’s improper words caused a tiff between foreign players and Chinese that reflected badly on the club and CSL. It was against CFA’s regulation. We reserve the right to appeal to the CFA’s discipline committee,” SIPG said.
Hulk issued a statement through his Weibo account late yesterday. “Unfortunately they are trying to abuse my image. The coach of the adversary team is accusing me of aggression. Where did he see it? I didn’t behave violently in any way! I have my conscience clear. God knows it. I just want to do what I love most — that is to play football! I’m very happy in China. I like and respect all of the Chinese people,” he wrote.
On the pitch, SIPG captain Wang Shenchao scored with a header from an assist from Hulk to give SIPG the lead in the closing minutes of the first half. Hulk doubled the lead in the 72nd with a powerful long shot. Guizhou’s Australian defender Ryan McGowan was shown a red card in the 88th after a handball on the goalline. Elkeson scored from the resulting spot kick to seal the win.
SIPG is second in the CSL standings on 17 points — two points behind leader Guangzhou Evergrande.
The defending champion beat Shenhua 3-2 in Guangzhou in on Friday.
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