Shanghai Shenhua have defended Carlos Tevez as the striker was quoted as saying that Chinese players are “not good” and “won’t be able to compete in 50 years” in an exclusive interview with French’s SFR Sport.
“The language used by the French media is misleading and cynical, which distorted the meaning of Tevez’s words,” Shanghai Shenhua noted in a press release.
“Tevez said he had not watched the video footage of the interview and its subtitles yet, but the headline led us to believe that the interview is being exaggerated and blown out of proportion.
“Tevez’s comments were taken grossly out of context. He has clarified to the club that he has no intention of disparaging Chinese football and Chinese players.
“Tevez was just attempting to paint a realistic picture of the current state of Chinese football. He also hopes for a better future for Chinese football.”