Shanghai Port player Cai fined for improper remarks

Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port announced on Sunday night that their midfielder Cai Huikang has been fined 20,000 yuan (US$2,780) for making improper remarks about fans.

A significant number of home fans turned their backs on the Shanghai team, expressing their frustration, after the hosts' 3-2 loss to Thailand's BG Pathum United in an AFC Champions League playoff on Tuesday, a defeat which prevented Shanghai from advancing to the group stage of the elite Asian clubs competition.

"My son asked me why they turned their back on us. I told him a white lie. I said, 'they were probably checking which bulb above has burnt out,'" Cai wrote on social media after the game.

His remarks sparked criticism from local fans with a notable Shanghai fan group accusing him of being deceptive, which prompted the Shanghai club to take action.

Cai's post-game remarks "had hurt the fans' feelings," the club said in the statement.

Cai has extended a public apology before the release of the club's statement.

"I apologize to our fans for what I said and wrote. Sorry for making your life harder on a sad day," he said.

"The players and the coaching staff were very disappointed and sad at the loss. I was then gripped by rashness and anger," he added.