September 11 – Gus Poyet has resigned as coach of Shanghai Shenhua after a fourth straight defeat, this time 2-1 to Henan Jianye, left the big-spending club languishing in 12th place in the Chinese Super League.
Poyet was appointed in late November last year with the task of improving on third place. But defeat in the AFC Champions league was followed by a poor league run of just three wins in 18 games amid constant speculation over the future of Carlos Tevez, the club’s high-profile signing.
To make matters worse for supporters, city rivals Shanghai SIPG, coached by Andre Villas-Boas, are expected to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time.
“It had been difficult and it was very, very strange,” the Uruguayan, who played for both Chelsea and Tottenham, said of the season prior to his decision to resign. “So many things happened and unfortunately we couldn’t get the consistency that I was convinced we would get.
“All of those things that happened didn’t let us play the strongest team or a consistent team. For example, in defence, after 10 games I had played seven different back fours. I don’t remember ever that happening anywhere.
“It’s not an excuse, it’s reality. I’m not complaining, it’s just been a difficult season.”
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