Anelka argues with angry fan after Shanghai Shenhua lose again

Supporter was furious over poor performance and star's refusal to perform traditional end-of-match bow but was told: I don't care

Bow row: Anelka wouldn't perform salute to fans that is customary in China

Barcroft

Nicolas Anelka’s Chinese adventure has gone pear-shaped after he got involved in ugly confrontation with an irate Shanghai Shenhua fan.

Anelka, who captains the super-rich Chinese side, angered their supporters by refusing to perform a traditional bow with the rest of the team after a shock 1-0 loss away to bottom-of-the-league Qingdao Jonoon.

Bowing by a whole team at the end of a match is customary in China.

It is seen as a way for the players to thank fans for their support, regardless of the result of the game.

The former Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton and Chelsea hitman was verbally attacked after the match by a fan, who stormed into the lobby of the hotel where the Shenhua squad were staying.

The fan shouted, in English, at ex-France international Anelka, “Why don’t you bow with the rest of the team?”

He was bundled away by other Shenhua players and hotel staff before tensions could boil over.

However, the fan later returned for another go at Anelka, as the players were preparing to board their bus.

On spotting the same seething supporter , Anelka walked up to him and said, “If you want to have a talk. Stand here now.”

The fan, who made a 700-mile round trip from Shanghai to attend the match, shouted back at Anelka, “I took time off work and paid for flight tickets and a hotel to come to support you all, but you did what?”

A perplexed Anelka replied, “Why me? Why don’t you find a Chinese player?”

The fan shouted back, “Because you are the captain and you should be responsible for this [bowing to the fans] - if you don’t respect us, we don’t respect you.”

Anelka replied, “I don’t care.”

The incident caught the attention of the Chinese media, who also noted that Anelka left the field as quickly as possible after the Qingdao game, without shaking hands with any of his opponents.

Fans on Chinese football forums and social networks were split on the issue, but the tide in Shanghai seems to be starting to turn against Anelka, who has scored just two goals in 12 games.

Shenhua have struggled this season and are just one point off the bottom of the table halfway through the season.

Shenhua supporter Lu Xiaoming, 24, told MirrorFootball, “I didn’t travel to the game but I heard about what happened - what can I say? I just hope he leaves.

"Anelka is a myth, I’ve given up trying to work out why he isn’t playing better.”

But fellow fan Li Gun, 27, was more forgiving of Anelka and said, “He’s done his best so far, his personality is not the type to bow to fans, so I still support him.

"The problem in Shenhua is that some local players are just not good enough to play alongside him.”

Shenhua recently appointed former Argentina boss Sergio Batista as manager, replacing Anelka, who had a brief spell in charge as player-coach earlier in the season.

Batista confirmed that new signing Didier Drogba will make his Shenhua debut on July 14 in a match against their bitter rivals Beijing Guoan.