CPL Cracks Down on Unruly Fans: Shanghai Shenhua Warned, Beijing Guoan Fined

The Chinese Football Professional League (CPL) has stepped up its fight against unruly fans by officially warning Shanghai Shenhua after supporters harassed a young boy after the match against Beijing Guoan. The CPL came down harder on Guoan for their fans’ behaviour, fining and cutting their away-fan seating allocations after supporters wore clothing with offensive language at the same match.

The controversy erupted after a rescheduled Chinese Super League match between the two sides earlier this week, when a young boy wearing a national team No 7 jersey of Wu Lei, star striker of Shenhua’s crosstown rivals Shanghai Port, and his father were harassed by Shenhua supporters. Police subsequently placed three fans under administrative detention for picking quarrels and provoking trouble.

The day after the incident, tension mounted as several diehard Shenhua supporter groups announced plans to stage silent protests during coming matches, citing their club’s initial lack of response and dissatisfaction over the handling of the sanctions against the three fans. According to the CPL statement, based on match supervisor reports, police bulletins, written explanations, photos, videos and hearings, the incidents involving both Shenhua and Guoan fans “caused a severe negative societal impact”.