Shanghai Shenhua midfielder Sun Shilin has offered a somewhat strange explanation for why he gave Alexandre Pato the thumbs up for missing a penalty.
Chinese player docked wages for entire season
Brazilian striker Pato, who joined Tianjin Quanjian back in January for £15.5 million, ballooned a spot-kick over the bar during his side's 1-1 draw with Shanghai in the Chinese Super League on Saturday.
The miss ensured 10-man Shanghai came away with a point, with Giovanni Moreno's opener later cancelled out by Axel Witsel.
Sun caused controversy immediately after Pato's penalty, however, as he ran over and sarcastically gave the former AC Milan forward the thumbs up for wasting a golden opportunity to give his side a 2-1 lead.
And the 28-year-old has now explained his actions, insisting that Pato missed the spot-kick intentionally and that he was merely thanking the striker for doing so.
"I genuinely just wanted to thank him for his penalty miss. We held on for a 1-1 draw and everyone was exceptionally happy about it," Shilin told Titan Sports.
WATCH: Witsel's late equaliser for Tianjin
"I personally disagreed with the penalty decision and so did Pato. He missed the penalty intentionally and that’s why I gave a thumbs up to his face.
"I feel obliged to express my gratitude to Pato for his sportsmanship and the spirit of fair play."
The result leaves Tianjin in 14th place after two CSL matches, while Shanghai are currently fourth in the table with one win and a draw from their opening fixtures.
You can watch Pato's penalty miss, and Shilin's reaction, via the video at the top of the page!