Who's hot, who's not in China Sports (Week 16)

The Shenhua drama

Two months into the new season of the Chinese Soccer League, the ambitious Shanghai Shenhua, who landed former Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka in December, came up with nothing but bubbles subject to burst at the slightest touch.

After notching just one victory in its first five games, the desperate club cleared out its coaching staff, reportedly firing French head coach Jean Tigana, along with the assistant coaches all hired at his request and naming Anelka as the player-manager.

But on Monday, Tigana denied he had resigned from Shenhua in an interview with Agence France Presse, contradicting what the club's major investor Zhu Jun said earlier. He also refused to elaborate on his latest situation.

Things turn more convoluted as Shenhua canceled a press conference on Tuesday that would have been for the official announcement of the dismissal of the French coach's dismissal, who was hired not long after the signing of Anelka.

Tigana's legal team has sent a letter to the club, warning it would appeal to FIFA if Shenhua failed to pay his full-year salary, which is 2.5 million euro, for breach of contract.

Besides the disappointing losing streak on the field, the feud that started with the two's union in Shanghai was believed to play a big role in the ongoing drama.

Tigana did not give any compliments to Anelka at the former's signing conference last year. Rumor had it that during the team's preseason training in Europe, Tigana suggested that the club abandon what he called a selfish player.

Anelka, on the other hand, unleashed his anger over his compatriot coach. He was believed to be behind the collective boycott against Tigana on the bus before Shenhua's sixth game against Tianjin Teda last Friday.

Tigana had no choice but to return to the hotel. And Shenhua lost the game 1-0 in the end. But the off-the-field triumph was enough for Anelka to celebrate, even if it means he will do more jobs with the same 30,000-yuan weekly salary, including one he never liked – being conversational.

"It's official. I just became the new player-manager of Shanghai Shenhua," he wrote on his Twitter after the game.

The 33-year-old will now participate in the management of daily training.

"Being a coach and being a player are different, but I am sure I will have better communication with my teammates on the field," he said at a press conference, where Tigana was not present.