Shanghai SIPG's forward Hulk punched rival team's coach as he 'despises Chinese people'

Tempers flared during the half-time break of a match in the Chinese Super League on Saturday between SIPG and Guizhou Zhicheng.

SIPG's forward Hulk – the Brazillian Givanildo Vieira de Sousa – is accused of insulting and assaulting Guizhou Zhicheng assistant coach Yu Ming at the end of the first half as the teams headed for the dressing rooms at the Shanghai stadium.

"There were some arguments in the first half and their coaches took the initiative to insult us during the game, that was why we had the arguments with them," said Bing.

"This lasted until the break, and later, in the corridor, Hulk cursed our assistant coach in English. We argued with him and he punched our assistant coach Yu Ming and Yu fell to the ground. "Foreign players come here to help with the development of Chinese football, but no matter how well you play, you can't despise Chinese people, let alone beat our Chinese coaches."

SIPG have vigorously denied Bing's allegations, saying that Hulk did not punch Yu. The football team have accused Guizhou of heightening tensions between overseas and Chinese players, according to a Reuters report.

"The claims Hulk punched the assistant coach of Guizhou are not true," SIPG said on the club's official Weibo account.

"The statement of Li Bing and Yu Ming are inappropriate and they provoke hostility between the foreign players and Chinese people and it has affected the image of our club."

Andre Villas-Boas, manager of SIPG refused to be drawn into the argument, saying: "I don't know what people are talking about."

However coach Yu has claimed that Hulk "punched me on the right of my face", in front of former Chelsea boss Villas-Boas before police intervened, the South China Post reported.

SIPG won the match, beating Guizhou Zhicheng 3-0.

Hulk joined SIPG from Zenit St Petersburg in an Asian record deal worth €55m (£46.58m) in June 2016.