Shenhua suspends youth team coach Mao Jianqing
Shanghai Shenhua Football Club has suspended its youth team coach Mao Jianqing for making improper remarks on his live broadcast platform, attacking Shenhua head coach Wu Jingui.
The club issued a notification on Tuesday, confirming that his online remarks had no evidence, which damaged the reputation of the club and took a toll on the coach and players involved as well as Shenghua fans.
Mao, a former Chinese national team player, launched a fierce attack on Shenhua head coach Wu and assistant coaches Li Chengming and Zheng Kewei on Mao's personal live broadcast platform in the early hours of Tuesday.
A live video circulated online showed that Mao was emotional and poured out his dissatisfaction with Wu's coaching team. "They asked me to accompany them drinking until 4am but never taught me football," he complained in the broadcast.
Mao Jianqing was emotionally agitated during the live broadcast and hung up on calls from others urging him to stop.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mao extended a public apology on his social media account, admitting that his wrongful remarks had caused major harm to Shenhua FC, Wu Jingui and others. He pledged never to engage in any form of live broadcast again.
"I felt deep remorse for my behavior after reflection," Mao said, "From now on, I will definitely correct my bad habits, devote myself wholeheartedly to coaching, and will no longer conduct any form of live broadcast."
Mao got into a fight with someone while propping up a bar and was detained for seven days and fined 500 yuan (US$69.43) in 2008. He was also demoted to the reserve team several times by Shenhua for his issues with alcohol.
Mao Jianqin (left) played for Shanghai Shenhua from 2006 to 2009, under head coach Wu Jingui (right). Mao rejoined the team in 2017 and helped them win the 2017 Chinese FA Cup.
