BEIJING - Still reeling from Shenzhen Ruby's relegation, fans of the team suffered another blow when 15-year veteran Yuan Lin was forced to hang up his boots.

Yuan was the only player from Shenzhen to play in the Chinese Super League All-Star Game last November. However, four months later, the 34-year-old former captain was dropped from the team's lineup by new coach Philippe Troussier.

"It's reasonable for Troussier to use more young players because there is more room for them to improve," said Yuan, who leaves the club after a disappointing season. "He said my skills couldn't live up to his requirements. He said I was a typical Chinese player, who played in outdated ways and was only good at headers."

After Troussier's arrival, Yuan spent most of his time with the club's second team, and only played seven Super League matches, mainly when the team suffered injuries.

Yuan denied his fall from grace was the result of a reported conflict with the coach, but said the Frenchman was not a good choice for Chinese soccer.

"Our young players had a match against the Hunan team during our training in Qingyuan (a city in Guangdong province). I found the situation was disadvantageous for our team because the arrangement of three defenders left so much room for our opponents," said Yuan.

"The coach was new here at that time, so I said that it would be better to have five defenders in the game, but he told me it was not the problem of the formation, but the inability of the players. It was just a discussion in my eyes, not a conflict.

"But, yes, this Shenzhen team doesn't suit him. The club's current situation, staffing and economic investment were far from enough to realize his soccer ideal maybe the club can satisfy him in five or six years time," Yuan told the Shenzhen Evening Post.

Though Yuan's contract with the club will expire at the end of this year, he said he still wants to play, but the club refused to extend his contract.

Besides Yuan, Janez Zavrl of Slovenia is another player to have left the club.

According to Zavrl, Troussier made a farewell speech to him in front of all the players at a team meeting after their last game against Changchun Yatai.

"He said thank you for sharing this season with us, he was very happy to work with me and he wished me good luck," said Zavrl, who arrived at the club this year.

"This is the decision of the coach, I don't know the reason, but the coach has decided not to give me a chance next season, so I'm fine with that. I'll continue to do my job if there are chances, I would like to continue in China, and I think I am still a first-league player, not second league."

China Daily

(China Daily 11/11/2011 page22)