Whilst looking through the Chinese newspapers for more news following the arrest of Birmingham City president Carson Yeung, I came across this interview with his friend and former Blues employee Sammy Yu.

Sammy Yu (or Yu Huaiying to use his Chinese name), pictured above when talking the Chinese press about becoming general manger of Shenzen Ruby FC of the Chinese Super League, spoke to Chengdu Daily on Friday about the arrest of his friend Carson.

Mr Yu was quick to say that he hoped Carson would be found innocent, and refuted any improper conduct in the acquisition of Birmingham City FC. He made it clear that whilst he was involved in the negotiations with our former board over the purchase of Blues, he didn’t know where the money that Carson had came from. He said that Carson was a hardworking, decisive businessman with a passion for football.

However, Sammy distanced himself from Carson in saying that he hasn’t seen Mr Yeung since he left Birmingham City last September, and said that he would have to wait for things to quieten down at his new football club before he’d be able to visit Hong Kong to see Carson. He also said that he didn’t want to say too much as he didn’t want to affect Carson’s place.

For someone who claims to be a close friend of Carson, it’s hardly a ringing endorsement of Mr Yeung’s innocence; there does seem to be a distancing by Sammy of himself from Carson’s problems. However I have to admit I don’t think much importance can be attached to this interview by those who are looking to find reason that Carson will be found guilty. When muck is sprayed about it tends to stick if people are guilty are not, and it makes sense for Sammy to keep his mouth closed right now to ensure that he avoids guilt by association. There is also the fact that this is an ongoing investigation and as such it’s probably best to avoid saying much to ensure it isn’t compromised.

As ever, as more comes through I’ll do my best to keep the blog updated.

Tags: Carson Yeung, Sammy Yu