Shaolin Soccer – what a real referee thinks of Steven Chow’s football film

Questionable refereeing hands victory to the Shaolin side – we deserve a rematch and a sequel, explains William Lai

Cult comedy has been taken into hearts of football fans, but it plays fast and loose with the laws of the game

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Steven Chow stars in Shaolin Soccer, but should the team have won? Photo: Handout

Published: 9:00am, 26 Mar 2020Updated: 9:00am, 26 Mar 2020

The chances are that you know Shaolin Soccer inside out, and if you do not then go and watch it again right now. It has played a role in popular culture, seeping into the real football world every so often.

It was reported to inspire the Japan team at the 2002 Fifa World Cup, who reportedly watched it before the tournament, while many Zlatan Ibrahimovic goals have been likened to the skills on show in the film. In fact, every time there is a wild challenge or acrobatic volley, social media calls it out as “Shaolin Soccer”.

The 2001 kung fu comedy is clearly a masterpiece and beloved of both film and football fans worldwide, but what does a real-life referee make of Steven Chow Sing-chi’s classic comedy?

We put that to local referee William Lai, asking the former Post columnist of The Rational Ref and author of Football’s Dark Arts to get out his notebook while watching the film’s football scenes.

Lai blew the whistle on a number of things the referees at the tournament let slip by – they can be thankful they were not being assessed – and what that means for our heroes.

It would be a very different film, that’s for sure.