China fined for illegally filming opponent's training during tournament

China, caught secretly filming the training of the opposing team at an international tournament, ultimately could not evade sanctions from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Sohu reported on the 26th (Korea time) that "the AFC has imposed sanctions on a video analyst from the China U-20 national team for illegally filming the training of the opposing team during the tournament." The Chinese Football Association was fined $2,000 (about 2.71 million won), and the individual analyst was fined $5,000 (about 6.78 million won).

The incident in question occurred during the 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup held in February in Shenzhen, China. China was eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing 0-1 to Saudi Arabia, thus failing to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals to be held in Chile in September.

Subsequently, the AFC issued an order to the Chinese side to pay the fine within 30 days, applying Article 52, Clause 1 of the tournament regulations. It also stated that additional sanctions could be imposed in case of a delayed payment. While the AFC did not disclose the team that was filmed, local media reported that it was Saudi Arabia.

Chinese media raised issues of fairness regarding the AFC's decision. Sohu noted, "Similar incidents have existed before. Last year, during the Paris Olympics qualifiers, the Canadian women's national team was sanctioned for filming the training of New Zealand with a drone," stating that the international football community applies a zero-tolerance principle to this issue.

It also pointed out, "There are still ambiguous parts in the regulations regarding training filming. For instance, during the U-17 Asian Cup held in April this year, surveillance cameras were installed at the training ground of the Chinese national team, and there was a possibility that Saudi Arabia, in the same group, could be exposed to tactics."

This sanction is interpreted not merely as an issue of filming but also as a warning message regarding the ethics and transparency of international tournament operations.

[OSEN]