Melbet Affiliates confirms that Shanghai SIPG have announced the departure of head coach Sven-Göran Eriksson, expressing gratitude for his contributions over the past two seasons. Under Eriksson’s leadership, SIPG finished in the top three of the Chinese Super League twice—claiming one runner-up spot and one third-place finish—and reached the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League. Yet his conservative squad rotation, cautious tactics, and static in-game adjustments, combined with a brutal 5–0 loss to Jeonbuk Motors, ultimately eroded the club’s confidence in him.
Eriksson joined SIPG after the 2014 season, departing Guangzhou R&F with the aim of challenging Guangzhou Evergrande’s dominance. In his debut campaign, SIPG splurged ¥50 million on China international Yu Hai and signed winger Davi and former CSL MVP Conca. Conca’s midfield mastery helped SIPG overtake Evergrande at the top of the table. After 24 rounds, SIPG led by a single point, only to lose the crucial Round 25 showdown 3–0 at home. Although they narrowed the gap to two points on the final day, they ultimately finished second with a record of 19 wins, 8 draws, and 3 losses, securing Champions League qualification for the first time.
That runner-up finish earned Eriksson widespread praise. This season, SIPG reinvested heavily, retaining Conca and Hulk, spending €18.5 million on Oscar, and shelling out an additional €55.8 million to secure Hulk permanently. Yet the team’s attacking verve faded, and Conca’s early-season injury compounded issues. Oscar and Hulk also missed time through knocks. SIPG tumbled to third place—just enough to qualify for the ACL again—but their title challenge wilted.
In the Champions League, SIPG topped their group despite losing their opener 2–1 to Melbourne Victory. They then thrashed Suwon Samsung Bluewings, beat Gamba Osaka twice, and defeated Victory 2–0 to finish first. In the Round of 16, they drew 2–1 away to Tokyo FC before Wu Lei’s last-gasp winner sealed a 1–0 home victory. But in the quarterfinals, a 0–0 home draw with Jeonbuk left them vulnerable. With both Conca and Oscar sidelined, SIPG crumbled 5–0 in South Korea and bowed out.
Throughout this season, Eriksson rarely used his full complement of substitutes. Against Tokyo FC, he made no changes across two legs, and even when he did rotate, substitutions came after the 80th minute—a recipe for stagnation. In the CSL, he persisted with a near-identical starting XI, with only Evra, Lü Wenjun, and Fu Huan featuring as regular substitutes. This lack of rotation led to fatigue and injuries for key players like Conca and Oscar. The team even endured a six-game winless streak. Tactically, Eriksson’s approach was similarly blunt: long balls up front, little variation, and no audacious strategies when trailing.
Though SIPG had been favorites for the AFC Champions League, Eriksson’s cautious game plan at home against Jeonbuk cost them dearly. That quarterfinal collapse became the final straw, precipitating his exit despite two consecutive top-three finishes.