September 6: Shanghai Shenhua Lose 0-1 to Dalian Yingbo in FA Cup Quarterfinals, Exit in Last Eight as Fans Question Recruitment

On the evening of September 1, 2026, Shanghai Shenhua lost 0-1 away to China League One side Dalian Yingbo in the FA Cup quarterfinals. The defending champions were eliminated in the last eight, marking another unexpected setback this season after a six-match winless run during the middle stage of the league campaign.

In the 77th minute, foreign player Sao Lo Mineiro, who had only been on the pitch for 20 minutes as a substitute, committed a violent foul while the ball was not in play. After a VAR review, the referee showed a direct red card. Shenhua could not equalize after going down to 10 men and were eventually eliminated by the China League One side.

The defeat reduced Shenhua's three-front title ambitions this season to only the Chinese Super League route, while all previous controversies surrounding coaching changes, management changes and foreign player arrangements erupted after the match.

After the loss, many fans directly blamed former sporting director Sun Xiaotian, who had reportedly already left the club, believing that the coaching change operation and foreign recruitment mistakes under his influence gradually led Shenhua to their current situation.

However, a review of all publicly available official announcements, club releases and authoritative sports media reports confirms that there is currently no officially confirmed public information proving Sun Xiaotian participated in Milojevic's appointment process during his time at Shenhua, nor any formal document showing he was the key decision-maker behind the coaching change.

The previously circulated claim that “Sun Xiaotian chose a coach to save money and completely ignored competitive suitability” came entirely from unofficial speculation. There are no corresponding public employment records or operational documents supporting it, meaning the core premise of that controversy lacks factual evidence.

On August 13, Shanghai Shenhua officially announced that Milojevic had become the first-team head coach, with his contract running until December 31, 2028.

Public information shows that the Serbian coach won domestic league titles multiple times while managing Red Star Belgrade and was also named the league's coach of the season. His coaching background was not the “low-cost stopgap choice” described by some previous rumors.

However, his results have not met outside expectations. By the time of Shenhua's FA Cup elimination, he had led the team in four competitive matches with a record of one win and three defeats, conceding 11 goals in total. Defensive stability has remained unresolved.

On August 22 in Chinese Super League Round 24, Shenhua defeated Chengdu Rongcheng 5-4 away in a highly aggressive attacking display. Asue completed a hat-trick, and Milojevic's coaching was viewed by many fans at the time as a turning point for the team's recovery.

Just six days later on August 28 in CSL Round 25, Shenhua hosted Shandong Taishan and lost 2-3 after a comeback by the opponents. They conceded within the first minute, then were equalized before suffering a late winner while playing with 10 men. Losing two key matches within five days showed a rapid decline in competitive form.

In that match, Shenhua used a 4-2-3-1 formation with Wu Xi and Wang Haijian as the double defensive midfielders. Official technical statistics showed Shenhua's passing accuracy was 81.8%, ranking eighth among all CSL teams that round, while key passes ranked third in the league. However, many passes were concentrated in deeper areas and the team struggled to deliver the ball into dangerous attacking zones. The issue of a midfield that looked good statistically but lacked practical connection has not been fully solved by three successive coaches from Wu Jingui to Slutsky and then Milojevic.

In the September 1 FA Cup away match against Dalian Yingbo, Milojevic made a surprising lineup adjustment by moving long-time right-back Manafa to the left side and starting Yang Zexiang at right-back. The positional switch did not solve Shenhua's longstanding wide defensive problems, as their right flank was repeatedly exposed in the second half.

In the 53rd minute, Dalian Yingbo took the lead through Stanciu's penalty. The penalty came from a controversial moment when Shenhua goalkeeper Huang Zihao brought down an opponent while rushing out. The referee initially showed a red card before changing the decision to a penalty, directly altering the course of the match.

Mineiro came on as a substitute in the 57th minute. After entering, he made several mistakes in duels with Dalian defender Mao Weijie, sent a cross directly out of play, and then, while the ball was not in play, used his shoulder to hit the opponent and raised his foot toward the opponent's calf, resulting in a direct red card.

The Chinese Football Association quickly announced Mineiro's punishment after the match: a three-game suspension and a fine of 15,000 yuan. The punishment followed the minimum standard for off-ball violent conduct under the Chinese Football Association Disciplinary Code, without additional escalation.

Mineiro's contract expires on December 31, 2026. As of September 4, Shenhua had not started renewal talks with him, and the club has basically determined internally that he will not remain after the season.

So far this season, Mineiro has scored only two league goals. He previously suffered a serious proximal rupture of the right rectus femoris tendon, with the official estimate putting his absence at four months. After returning, he lost his place in Slutsky's lineup and has not regained a consistent starting role under the new coach.

Shenhua currently have six foreign players registered in the first team. Lattanzio has scored 16 goals and provided one assist in 25 league matches this season, making him the most certain foreign player to remain. Asue's form has recently improved, while Teixeira and Manafa's contracts are also nearing expiration at the end of the season. Guy has been ruled out for the season after an Achilles tendon rupture.

With six foreign players competing for four starting spots in each CSL match, at least two foreign players must regularly sit on the bench. Under a congested schedule, many foreign players struggle to maintain competitive rhythm, which is a structural reason the team's squad integration has fallen short of expectations.

In the 2025 season, Shenhua won the CSL title by two points over Shanghai Port. Slutsky departed after the season, and after 22 rounds of the 2026 season Shenhua had dropped to seventh place. The team was deducted 10 points by the CFA for violations at the start of the season, and after 25 league matches they had only 28 points. The title race was already over, there was no relegation pressure, and the FA Cup had originally been the team's most realistic title opportunity.

Also eliminated in the FA Cup quarterfinals on the same day as Shenhua were Shandong Taishan, who lost 0-3 to Shanghai Port. Two traditional CSL powerhouses fell in the last eight, and Shenhua's defeat to a China League One team appeared especially striking.

At the post-match press conference, when asked about Mineiro's red card, Milojevic only said he did not clearly see the specific foul action. He did not defend the player or announce any further internal club disciplinary decision.

Shenhua have not released any official announcements regarding foreign players such as Manafa and Teixeira leaving at the end of the season. Claims that several foreign players have already been ruled out for the season are only fan speculation based on individual match performances and have not been officially confirmed by the club.

Shenhua's next competitive match has been confirmed for September 6 at 19:00, when they will face Chongqing Tongliang Long away in CSL Round 26. Only five days have passed since FA Cup elimination, leaving the team little time for adjustment.

The 2027 CSL winter transfer window will officially open on January 1 next year. All foreign player decisions will only have official developments at that time. The only confirmed fact now is that Shenhua's 2026 FA Cup campaign ended early in Dalian, and Milojevic's adjustments since taking charge have not yet produced results convincing to everyone. All accusations regarding management recruitment mistakes still lack corresponding public factual support.