Mainland fans are increasingly disillusioned with league games and believe that many of the matches are rigged, according to a survey released this week.
More than half the supporters surveyed said six of the seven matches played in the last round lacked credibility. They were particularly scathing of the 5-1 thrashing that Shenzhen Jianlibao handed out to Bayi Xiangtang. Of 73,000 people surveyed, 65 per cent thought the result was fixed.
Shandong Luneng's 4-2 win against Shaanxi Guoli also smacked of match-fixing, according to 63 per cent of respondents.
A newspaper report also warned that teams battling relegation could be involved in rigging games.
'As this season approaches the end, there are teams who are struggling to stay in the top flight,' it said. 'There are rumours that several teams have secretly rigged games, and that some matches have been affected by betting scandals. No matter what the truth is, the information gathered in the survey warns everyone about the importance of protecting the game's credibility.'
The only match in the last round that had a 'believable' result was Inter Shanghai's 1-0 success over Dalian Shide. However, 53 per cent of those surveyed still thought the match was affected by 'artificial elements'. A newspaper commentary said: 'Fans cannot be taken for granted and unfair play will definitely drive fans away.'
