Chinese soccer fans round on ‘rat’ Carlos Tevez after holiday barb

Furious Chinese soccer fans branded Carlos Tevez shameless and “a rat” on Wednesday after the Argentine striker described his ill-fated spell at Shanghai Shenhua as a “holiday for seven months.”

The 33-year-old struggled for form and fitness during a disastrous stint in China, where he was among the best-paid players in the world on a reported weekly salary of 730,000 euros ($893,000).

He brought his Chinese nightmare to a premature end when he returned to Boca Juniors earlier this month and on Monday joked with Argentine television channel TyC Sports, “It’s fine because I was on holiday for seven months.”

That prompted an outpouring of anger on Chinese social media, with fans of a number of Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs rounding on the man often disparagingly labeled “very homesick boy” in the Asian country.

“Soccer hooligan, please get your arse out and never return to China again. Scum,” wrote one on Weibo.

“I wonder if there is anyone more shameless than him,” added another.

Tevez missed half of Shenhua’s CSL games injured, out of form or out of shape, and when he did play he failed to justify his hefty paycheck, scoring just four league goals.

As well as hitting out at Tevez, whose previous clubs include Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus, Chinese fans also said Shenhua should take some of the blame.

“After looking at Tevez’s interview my heart as a Chinese soccer fan is again deeply hurt,” wrote another on Weibo.

“While we are chasing Tevez like a rat crossing the street, China’s soccer managers should also do some good self-reflection.”

In contrast, Tevez has been warmly welcomed back for his third stint at Boca and has a supporter in Argentine great Diego Maradona. “He filled Santa’s sack with dollars and came back to Boca,” Maradona was quoted as saying by Argentine TV earlier this month.

Shenhua, who are keen to draw a line under the Tevez fiasco, declined to comment.