Chinese football player Lyu Zheng has accused the general manager of his club of having underrated and humiliated him, which led to his self-claimed premature retirement.
The 35-year-old midfielder of Beijing Sport University FC announced his retirement on Sunday on social media, claiming that he decided to hang up his boots after an unpleasant talk with the second-tier club's general manager Sun Zhedong at the end of last year, reports Xinhua news agency.
"During our talk, he questioned my playing time. Last season I only played four times playing a total of 200 minutes. Despite the limited time, I scored five goals," Lyu said.
"But he said the fact that I got only 200 minutes of playing time meant my performance was awful compared with other players who played 20 games. It is outrageous that he used this statistic against me," he said.
"During that talk, he struck the table and shouted at me repeatedly. He said 'as the general manager, I can field you in the matches, and I can get rid of you as well.' He calls the shots in the club, leaving all the players at his mercy.
"What he said amounted to a humiliation in my career and the medals I won. That bitter talk with him and the fact that I did not get paid over five months made me decide to call it a day, though I could play for two more years," the former Shandong Luneng player said.
