Tomorrow night Shandong Luneng take on Shanghai Shenhua in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Before the game new coach Felix Magath said that he hopes his team performs well. Despite their terrible run in the Super League a good performance tomorrow will keep the hopes for silverware alive.
The Shandong side are currently ranked last in the local Super League - two points behind Hangzhou Greentown. But the season may still get some shine to it since the team is still going strong in two major competitions. One of those, the FA Cup, will commence again tomorrow with Shandong’s fourth round match up against the Shanghai Shenhua of Demba Ba.
Magath certainly believes in his teams chances of survival. When being asked about the clubs bad position in the league relative to their opponent (Shanghai Shenhua is currently in fifth) the experienced German coach responsed: ‘tomorrow is a cup, it’s about survival or destruction. We have to play well tomorrow no matter what.’
READ: ‘Tardelli returns to Atletico Mineiro’
One reporter asked about the ‘case Tardelli’. Recently media reported that the Brazilian striker was unhappy at Shandong an did not agree with the new coaches training regime. Magath said: “I do not know of Tardelli is in the position to question my training methods. We have only worked together a couple of times so I doubt he has problems with my methods. His unhappines is for more personal reasons and has nothing to do with my training.”
The personal reasons Magath may be refering to are the currently very strong rumors of Tardelli being in negotiations with his old club Atletico Mineiro. Coach Magath stated in talks with local media that he has instructed the club owners to look for more defensively minded reinforcements. In order for this to happen the club would have to sell foreign players because of the local FA rulings.
Because of this the Shandong Luneng chairman apparently has already accepted an offer from Brazilian outfit Atletico Mineiro. Tardelli has been under contract with Atletico for two previous periods, from 2009-2011 and 2013-2014. He is still extremely popular amongst Atletico fans and they would certainly welcome his return.
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