Shanghai Shenhua coach Wu Jingui is leaving the club because of ill health and will be replaced by Jia Xiuquan, a former coach of the China's national youth team, according to an announcement on the club's official Website.

Wednesday's announcement said that due to his health, Wu could no longer cope with the demands and stress of the job.

Fans have been paying close attention to the club's news and many visited the official Website on Wednesday, causing it to crash temporarily, the Oriental Morning Post reported yesterday.

The newspaper quoted a senior club official as saying that Wu had been diagnosed with a heart complaint and doctors had told him to have treatment in hospital.

But some players said that Wu looked healthy as ever at Wednesday's training session. The report said the club had doubts about some of Wu's coaching decisions.

Insiders said one of the main reasons Wu is leaving is that he refused to take instructions from club officials. They also said the club was behind in its payments to players.

Shenhua is currently second in the Chinese Super League, five points behind Shaanxi Zhongxin.

Wu, who rejoined Shenhua on December 11 last year, is leaving the club for the third time after earlier walking out in 2004 and 2007.

It will also be the third time that Jia will be working at Shenhua. He was an assistant coach in 2000 and 2004 and resigned as coach of Henan Jianye earlier this season.

(Shanghai Daily September 5, 2008)