Shanghai: Fabio Cannavaro’s Tianjin Quanjian took aim at rivals Shanghai SIPG on Monday following a bad-tempered draw in the Chinese Super League punctuated by incidents on and off the field — including over a towel.
Opposing fans briefly scuffled outside the stadium following Sunday’s 0-0 stalemate in Shanghai, according to videos on social media, while on the pitch there were several flashpoints between players and staff of the two sides.
Tianjin players posed with white towels after the game, an ironic nod to a first-half dispute with Andre Villas-Boas’s Shanghai over the visitors using towels to dry the ball for throw-ins.
At one point during the match a ballboy and member of Tianjin’s staff wrestled for a towel on the sidelines, and the Tianjin official was consequently ordered away from the side of the pitch.
Villas-Boas and members of Cannavaro’s backroom staff also engaged in a slanging match, but both managers were tight-lipped after the game.
Tianjin, however, were more forthright on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter.
“We condemn any form of soccer hooliganism under any circumstances, location or reason,” Tianjin, third in the CSL, said in a statement.
“We hope that all teams and fans on the away side can fully enjoy and shout their support and safely return home.”
The post accompanied a picture of Shanghai fans and one of their banners reading: “Viewing with virtue, shouting with technique, wild with restraint.”
But in the statement Tianjin said pointedly that slogans “should be implemented in action”.
In response Shanghai urged their fans to behave “in a civilised manner”.
“As a football team in Shanghai we constantly keep in mind that our words and deeds should be worthy of the glory of the city,” the club said on Weibo.
The weekend draw left Shanghai second, three points off leaders and reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande.
