Former Australian international and English Premier League defender Kevin Muscat has marked a significant achievement by guiding Shanghai Port to victory in the Chinese Super League, making it his third championship win in different countries as a head coach.
On Saturday, Shanghai secured the title by thrashing Tianjin Jinmen Tiger with a stunning 5-0 scoreline, finishing the season with a commendable 78 points across 30 matches, just ahead of their city rivals Shanghai Shenhua.
This victory signifies Port’s second consecutive league title and their third overall.
The team not only clinched the championship but also set a league record by scoring a total of 96 goals, with standout forward Wu Lei contributing significantly by netting two goals against Tianjin, bringing his total for the season to 34.
Wu expressed his delight at the conclusion of the season, stating, “It has been a great season and we are delighted to finish in first place on the last day.”
He also commended Shenhua, who are still in search of their first title since 1995, acknowledging, “We had a little more experience than Shenhua, but they have some very good young players and will definitely win the Chinese Super League in the next few years.”
Muscat, who is now 51 years old, previously achieved A-League Championship victories with Melbourne Victory in 2015 and 2018.
He then took charge at Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, where he led the team to victory in the 2022 J. League.
Muscat joined Shanghai Port last December and has swiftly made his mark.
Meanwhile, Meizhou Hakka and Nantong Zhiyun finished in the lower ranks, ending the season in 15th and 16th place respectively, resulting in their relegation to the Chinese League One.