BEIJING - Shenzhen Ruby president Wan Hongwei remains firmly behind manager Philippe Troussier, despite the fact the team finished at the bottom of the Chinese Super League (CSL) under the Frenchman's guidance.

"There are a lot of reasons for our bad result. From the perspective of the coach, I think he was expected to bring up more young players, and at the same time survive in the league this year," Wan said. "He told me he would have used a totally different lineup if he came to Shenzhen only to keep the team away from relegation.

"Troussier has a long-term target and that is to make Shenzhen a strong team during his tenure. Maybe the result of some important matches would have been different if he had used more experienced players, but his target is longer and bigger."

The 56-year-old coach will still have a free rein over the choosing of next season's squad.

"The use of players for next season depends on the coach, and the club is waiting for him to give us a name list," said Wan.

"Regarding the seven players' absence (from the last match of the season), I have talked with Troussier and he will have the final say in this matter," he said.

"We gave the coach a lot of power because I believe it will help him to develop more systematic thinking about the development of the team."

However, Chinese media reported Wan has been compelled to support the Frenchman because the club would have to pay 30 million yuan in penalties to Troussier if it terminates his contract. There were also no relegation terms in the contract.

"We didn't talk about relegation in the contract because, from the very beginning, the only thing in my mind was how to build a strong team in three to five years," Wan said.

China Daily

(China Daily 11/11/2011 page22)