Advertisement
Tatt’s your lot: Chinese Football Association bans players from showing their ink during matches
Reports emerge after Wales game where the Chinese team’s body art was crudely covered with tape; foreign players are exempt – for now
2-MIN READ2-MIN
Reports have emerged that the Chinese Football Association has moved to curb the trend of players getting tattoos by banning them from exhibiting their skin art while playing.
The news, reported by Chinese media on Sunday, followed on from the China Cup opener last Friday where national team players such as Zhang Lingpeng were covered with tape in order to obscure their tattoos.
This will be applied in the Chinese Super League and for national team matches, and it is suggested that players may lose their place in the team if they fail to toe the line.
Speculation has arisen whether this will be followed in other sports such as the Chinese Basketball Association, while musicians have already been banned from TV on account of their tattoos or told to cover up.
Advertisement
Much like in the West, tattoos have become more mainstream in recent years and it is not unusual for younger sportsmen to have a similar amount of ink as their counterparts overseas.
As ever, Chinese social media has reacted with memes mocking the new diktat.
The ban – and the need to cover up – poses several questions for the players involved: will they be expected to get their tattoos removed? If they don’t will it finally lead to the first notable exodus of Chinese players from the domestic league so they can find game time? Is this an issue for Fifa to intervene in ?
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x