Chinese football is never far from controversy, and the latest involves Du Zhenyu and Guangxi Pingguo Haliao.
On Sunday 29th September, an announcement on Guangxi’s Weibo account sent shockwaves through the Chinese football world.
In it, the club announced the termination of three people: two coaches and one sporting director.
The announcement followed a run of four consecutive draws, which has hampered the team’s China League One promotion hunt.
While it’s not unusual for clubs to terminate staff, the manner in which Du Zhenyu, who was employed as assistant coach for the team, was announced has raised many questions online.
Of the three terminations, Du, a legend for Changchun Yatai in his playing days, was the only one who was specifically called out as never being allowed to return in the basic wording of the announcement, with demands for him to vacate his club-rented apartment quickly.
The same demands were not made or outlined for the other two involved, so why has Du Zhenyu been specifically targeted?
To make matters even more curious, the post has since been removed from the team’s account.
In the aftermath of the announcement, many have come to Du Zhenyu’s aid and stated their belief in his character, with him being highly respected within the game after spells as a coach for China Under-20s as well as the running of his own coaching school back in Changchun.
Some corners of the internet have questioned whether he has been caught doing something illicit, which goes against the public’s general view of him, whereas others have commented on the possibility that he has upset ownership in Guangxi or been unwilling to go along with something underhanded.
Match fixing and gambling are a big focus once again in Chinese football, so it’s natural for speculation to be rife on the subject.
The way Guangxi have handled this dismissal will have fans questioning things until Du Zhenyu himself speaks publicly or any further actions are announced, with only debates and general commentary from people claiming to have some knowledge of the situation to go on so far.
It’s an intriguing and concerning situation at the same time and the hope is that clarification will be forthcoming in the near future lest more speculation develops.