Chinese football has once again come under scrutiny for 'unsportsmanlike conduct' in international competitions. This time, it received an official sanction from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for illegally filming the training of the opposing country.
Sohu reported on the 26th (Korea time) that 'the AFC imposed a fine of $2,000 (2.71 million won) on the Chinese Football Association (CFA).'
The reason was clear. A video analyst for the Chinese under-20 (U-20) national team was caught secretly filming the training of the opposing team. A separate fine of $5,000 (6.78 million won) was imposed on the individual analyst.
China was eliminated after losing 0-1 to Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals of the 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup held in its own city in February. Despite being evaluated as having 'the strongest members ever', it failed to advance to the semifinals and ultimately missed the opportunity to participate in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be held in Chile in September.
At that time, China struggled to convert despite having high possession, and after Liu Chengyu missed a penalty kick in the 14th minute of the second half, the team collapsed rapidly. They allowed Saudi Arabia to score the decisive goal at the end of the match, closing out the tournament.
However, about four months after the match ended, a bigger issue has come to light. The AFC officially announced that the Chinese side illegally filmed the official training of the opposing team at the tournament.
It pointed out that the CFA violated Article 52, Paragraph 1 of the '2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup Regulations.' The fine must be paid within 30 days, and failure to comply will result in additional penalties.
The AFC did not reveal which team's training was filmed. However, Sohu reported, citing internal sources, that 'Saudi Arabia was the target of the filming.' This raises dissatisfaction about the results of the quarterfinal at that time.
As the controversy grew, Chinese media immediately countered. Sohu noted that 'last year, during the Paris Olympics, the Canadian women's team received a severe penalty from FIFA for filming New Zealand's training using a drone,' and stated, 'However, the regulations regarding filming training remain ambiguous.'
It continued, 'In April of this year, during the under-17 Asian Cup held in Saudi Arabia, surveillance cameras were installed at the Chinese training ground. Given that they were in the same group as Saudi Arabia, there were sufficient concerns about strategy leaks,' raising questions about fairness.
This incident reflects not just a performance issue but also the ethical standards of the national team operation. Despite aiming for advancement to the top ranks in Asia, repeated unsavory incidents are eroding trust.
[OSEN]