Anelka upset by talks of new coach
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, May 22, 2012
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Nicolas Anelka in action during a Chinese Super League match. |
Shanghai Shenhua's star striker Nicolas Anelka has threatened to retire as the club is set to sign a new coach to replace the player-coach.
Anelka, who rarely speaks to the local media in private other than at press conferences, contacted the Xinmin Evening News to air his displeasure over talks of hiring a new coach. It was the first sign that his China sojourn may be turning sour since arriving in January on a two-year contract for a rumored 234,000 euros (U$307,000) salary a week.
Shenhua is reportedly close to signing Sergio Daniel Batista as the new coach. The Argentine was the coach of the Olympic team which won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. He then took over from Diego Maradona as his country's national coach.
But Anelka is not too happy with Batista's arrival after he was named player-coach since his French compatriot Jean Tigana was sacked last month. Anelka brought in his own team who are likely to get the boot once Batista takes charge.
"How long will I be the coach? My contract is for 2 years, but my (coaching) team only signed for six months," Anelka told the eveninger. "Where will they go? I won't accept it if new coaches come. Where should the assistants go whom I had asked join. I gradually find that the club and I don't have similar opinions. But I'm still positive. I want everyone to cooperate, to help and take the team in the right direction.
"If they still do not support me and if (they) continue to play behind my back or bring in new assistants, it is hard to say what will happen. I will decide soon whether or not to end my career," he said.
"It depends on what will happen in the next few weeks."
Anelka said he had not yet talked to Zhu Jun, the chief investor of Shenhua.
Shenhua issued a statement saying that it understood the pressure Anelka was under.
"The club understands the pressure on players and coaches during this hard time," Shenhua said on its microblog.
The club is 14th in the 16-team Chinese Super League despite some big investments this season.
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