BEIJING - Philippe Troussier expected his team to be climbing to the top by now.

Instead, it's been shown the door.

The French coach's first year in the Chinese Super League (CSL) ended in misery as his club, Shenzhen Ruby, became the first championship team to be relegated to the second division.

At his arrival ceremony in February, Troussier ambitiously predicted he would lead Shenzhen to the top six this year and to another league title in three years.

But eight months later, things have gone the opposite direction under the "White Witch Doctor".

Chinese media said CSL team Shandong Luneng and newly promoted Dalian Aerbin are interested in the 56-year-old, but Troussier said he will stay in Shenzhen next season and is ready to take on the new challenge.

"I won't leave Shenzhen," said Troussier. "The second division league is another new start for us and I hope we will return to the Super League next year.

"We are the last one in the first division - maybe it also means we are not competitive enough to ensure a spot in the top league," he said. "If we can calm down and make a future plan for the team carefully and seriously, it might be a good thing for us to play in the lower division."

His words will not likely comfort the club's fans.

The Shenzhen team, which was once among domestic soccer's powerhouses, claimed the league title in 2004. That was the year the name of the top domestic league was changed from Jia-A to Chinese Super League.

Though suffering from severe capital problem in 2005, the South China team finished third at the AFC Championship.

The team was also named "Phoenix" by fans for surviving relegation in the last league games the past six years.

Troussier was well-known by Chinese fans for his success in Japan, where he led the Japanese national team to the last 16 at the 2002 World Cup. He was welcomed warmly and expected to bring the team back into the competitive fold.

His welcome seems to have worn out.

"It's not that terrible to play the second-division, but Troussier must leave Shenzhen. Otherwise, it will be impossible for our team to return to the Super League," Daily Sunshine, a newspaper in Shenzhen, quoted Sun Zhimin, president of the Shenzhen soccer fans federation, as saying.

In the club's forum, fans voiced a desire to see Troussier - who replaced many of the team's veterans with young players - give time to his more experienced players.

Troussier first asked forward Li Yi to switch his role to an assistant coach before the league opened. Then he discarded several veterans, including Yuan Lin and Pei Li, who helped Shenzhen survive relegation the past six years.

Goalkeeper Cheng Yuelei, once a regular participant on China's national team, also fell out of the starting lineup after Troussier's arrival.

Despite the controversies, Shenzhen Ruby chairman Wan Hongwei said he believed the Frenchman will fix the team in the long run.

"Troussier won't leave Shenzhen, in accordance with the contract," Wan said. "Troussier is a very committed coach in my eyes. Now, he has better knowledge of Chinese soccer, and I believe we will benefit from it next year."

China Daily