Chinese coach fined, banned for eight months for slapping referee

A Chinese football coach who slapped a referee on the side of his head during a second tier match last month has been handed an eight-month match ban and fined 150,000 yuan ($20,905), the Chinese football association (CFA) said on Wednesday.

During a match on July 23 in Nanjing, after receiving a red card for insulting the referee, Liaoning Shenyang’s coach Duan Xin “engaged in violent behaviour, hitting the referee’s face, resulting in negative social impact,” a CFA statement said.

For this he is “prohibited from entering the sports stadium for matches for a period of eight months” and fined 150,000 RMB, it added.

“The Chinese Football Association will strictly and resolutely handle all kinds of violations of rules and discipline in accordance with the provisions of the Disciplinary Code of the Chinese Football Association, in order to purify the atmosphere of the game.

“We hope that all parties involved will work together to maintain order on the field and preserve the hard-earned development environment of football.”