Shenhua taps Anelka as Tigana's assistant
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, April 13, 2012
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Shenhua's French striker Nicolas Anelka in the training session. |
Shanghai Shenhua striker Nicolas Anelka has been named "player-coach" and will assist team coach and fellow Frenchman Jean Tigana, the club announced yesterday.
While Tigana retained his position, assistant coach Gentili Baptiste, goalkeeping coach Levy Marc and physical coach Propos Roger, were let go, the club added.
Tigana, Anelka and four new assistant coaches, will become the new coaching team at Shenhua, according to Zhu Jun, the chief investor of the club.
The four new faces, two training coaches, Jean-Florent Ibenge and Alioune Toure, goalkeeping coach Ian Walker and physical coach Dan Harris, will arrive by tomorrow, sina.com reported.
"From now on, all the concentration and pressure will be on me," Anelka said. "I have no other choice but to play good games."
Zhu said the decisions were taken to turn round the fortunes of a team that has won only one game of its first five in the Chinese Super League and is struggling with five points.
"I'd rather take imperfect decisions than have a crisis without a solution," Zhu said on his microblog at Weibo.com.
The high-profile boss even cited the example of former Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas to support his idea.
Zhu said Anelka was the first player to find problems with the coaching crew and helped Zhu find the right replacements.
"I knew he was a skillful player but now I know he has a good heart and a good personality, as well," Zhu said. "Anelka is really at a high level. He was also the first to find Villas-Boas's training methods unsuitable for Chelsea. The club first supported Villas-Boas but then they had to replace him anyway."
Zhu tipped Anelka to become a legendary coach, starting with his stint in Shanghai. "Why not? The next Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho or Arsene Wenger, why can't they be tagged 'Made In China'?" he wrote. "Welcome Anelka to the coaching crew!"
Shenhua takes on Tianjin Teda tomorrow night at home, with Anelka expected to take up his new dual role.
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