Arie Haan fired as second-tier league coach

SHENYANG - Chinese first division club Shenyang Shenbei fired Dutch coach Arie Haan on Tuesday over a string of poor results.

Haan failed to live up to expectations of the club management which hired the former Chinese national team coach early this year, said a club source.

Under Haan's helm, Shenyang finished second to last in the Chinese first division league, a second-tier league after the Super League, with three draws and four losses from seven games.

Shenyang on Tuesday named technical director Li Zheng as interim head coach and former Chinese national team members Li Jinyu and Huang Yong as his assistants.

"I really appreciate the trust that the management had once put in me," said Haan.

"A record of three draws and four losses is unacceptable to any professional club," said the club's general manager Tang Hong. "Poor results was the main reason for Haan to leave the club.

"Haan can hardly adapt to the second-tier league. Poor results mean his unfamiliarity with the league, don't necessarily mean his incompetence."

Haan, the Dutch international in 1970s, coached the Chinese national team for two years since December 2002. In 2004, China hosted the Asian Cup and reached the final where his team was beaten by Japan. However, his team didn't qualify for the 2006 World Cup after their elimination from the first round of qualifications.

Haan returned to China in 2009 to coach struggling Super League side Chongqing Lifan. In August 2009, Haan was suspended for three games after waving money at a referee. Chongqing were relegated at the end of the 2009 league season and Haan left for fellow Chinese Super League team Tianjin Teda. He brought the team to the second place in 2010 season.