Fifa fine Spanish side HK$444,000 for deal involving China’s most expensive footballer

Then sponsor, Chinese internet finance firm Qbao, cited as having undue influence in Zhang Chengdong signing but Rayo Vallecano will appeal decision

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Zhang Chengdong in action for Beijing Guoan during the 2015 AFC Champions League. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 12:37pm, 20 Apr 2018Updated: 12:44pm, 20 Apr 2018

Spanish La Liga side Rayo Vallecano have been fined 55,000 Swiss Francs (US$ 56,567) for a 2015 loan deal involving Zhang Chengdong, who has since become China’s most expensive footballer.

The sanction, which was announced by Fifa on Thursday, was “for entering into contracts that enabled a third party to influence the club’s independence as well as for failing to record an existing third-party ownership agreement and for failing to enter correct and mandatory information in ITMS (International Transfer Matching System).”

China international Zhang moved from Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan.

Spanish newspaper AS reports that the third party in question was the club’s then sponsor Qbao.com and that they directly influenced the signing.

The Madrid paper also suggest that Rayo will appeal the decision, quoting an official statement from the club that claims Fifa has misinterpreted the situation and that it was carried out solely by the club’s former sporting director.

At the time Paco Jemez, then Rayo boss, had told radio station Cadena Ser about his concerns:

Fifa fine Spanish side HK$444,000 for deal involving China’s most expensive footballer

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Then sponsor, Chinese internet finance firm Qbao, cited as having undue influence in Zhang Chengdong signing but Rayo Vallecano will appeal decision

Then sponsor, Chinese internet finance firm Qbao, cited as having undue influence in Zhang Chengdong signing but Rayo Vallecano will appeal decision