China's football in deeper crisis
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-10-26 11:01

Football powerhouse Dalian Shide abandoned a match against Shenyang Jinde in protest at the referee on Sunday, confronting China's embattled Super League with yet another crisis.

Chinese football sensation Dong Fangzhou pictured playing for Dalian Shide. Football powerhouse Dalian abandoned a match against Shenyang Jinde in protest at the referee, confronting China's embattled Super League with yet another crisis. [AFP]

The Dalian players stormed off the field after an apparent handball went uncalled, giving Shenyang a 2-2 equalizer in the 84th minute.

Some 35 minutes after they left the pitch, referee Yang Zhiqiang declared the game was over.

The China Football Association (CFA) has yet to declare a winner, or make a decision on whether to penalize Dalian or sanction the referee. The CFA and Dalian could not immediately be reached for comment.

It was the second time this month that a Super League team has walked off due to alleged poor or crooked officiating amid widespread accusations of corruption in the game.

On October 2, Beijing Hyundai, also known as Beijing Guoan, left the pitch after a disputed penalty kick was awarded to Shenyang in the waning minutes of the match.

The club then threatened to pull out of the league unless the CFA addressed its concerns over "faked matches, black whistles (corrupt referees), betting on games and other ugly phenomena".

After refusing to deal with the Beijing incident for days, the CFA finally ruled that the club would be docked three points, but also suspended referee Zhou Weixin.

The apparent compromise resulted in Beijing agreeing to stay in the league.

Off the field, China has shown football hooligans the red card by proposing detention for violence on the terraces.

Fans guilty of violent or illegal acts at football matches would be held for up to five days and fined as much as 200 yuan (US$25), Xinhua news agency said.

"Hooligans sentenced to detention can also be barred from watching matches in stadiums for a period of one year," it said.

A Chinese premier league match in Beijing on Saturday had to be stopped for 10 minutes when a referee suffered a cut to the head after being hit by a piece of garbage hurled by an angry fan.

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