Carlos Tevez has continued on his charm offensive in the Chinese Super League, a week or so after he was declared too podgy to play by his Shanghai Shenhua coach.
Having replaced Gus Poyet in the hotseat earlier in the month, new Shanghai boss Wu Jingui was alarmed to discover that Tevez and fellow vastly expensive international marquee signing Fredy Guarin were unfit, out of shape and therefore not viable for selection.
Jingui told the local press:
I won’t pick [Tevez] right now. He’s not ready physically. He’s not fit to play.
He is overweight, along with Guarin. I have to take responsibility for the team and the players as well.
If you are unable do your utmost to play, there’s no point in picking you.
This despite the fact that the club are paying Tevez a reported £640,000-a-week for his ‘services’.
Perhaps in retaliation, the 33-year-old Argentinian striker, who has scored twice in 12 appearances for the CSL side since joining in December, has since taken a public swing at all Chinese football, decrying the lack of “natural talent” possessed by his domestic teammates and their entire ilk.
Speaking to French broadcasters SFR Sport, Tevez spilled his guts thus:
In South America and Europe, players learn to play football when they’re kids, but not here. So technically they are not very good.
Their football is very different. The fans treat it very differently as well. And I don’t think they are going to get to the same heights, not even in 50 years.
It’s almost like he’s trying to get himself fired, isn’t it?
It’s purported that Tevez has a one-year break clause in his contract that will allow him to terminate his deal and leave Shanghai in December.
We’ll be frankly astounded if he lasts any longer than that.