At first, Li Ke, as one of the first players to obtain Chinese citizenship, carried the high expectations of fans across the country. When he entered the Chinese Super League, his performance was once brilliant. But gradually, fans realized that his strength did not exceed that of local players, and he was gradually reduced to a substitute for the national team and Guoan team.
This may be what Wu Lei means by "integrating into the local community". When he was called up to the national team along with Iverson, it was once hailed as a sign of a new era, and people were full of expectations for the future of the national soccer team. However, the harsh reality soon gave him a loud slap in the face.
The current head coach of the national team is Ivankovic. I can't help but wonder if he ever beat Li Ke in a recent Chinese Super League match. If the answer is yes, that would certainly be a great blow to Li Ke. As a back, Li Ke's strong defense is one of his highlights. His absence is undoubtedly a big loss for the national soccer team.
Many fans are concerned about how many rounds Li Ke will be suspended for the lockout foul. In fact, there are precedents for this. For example, in 2023, Qingdao Hainiu player Zheng Long was fined 40,000 yuan for a throat-locking foul; Shanghai Harbor player Cai Huikang locked his throat in a battle with Shandong Taishan, and was punished with a double penalty of a four-round suspension and a 40,000 yuan fine.
As you can see from these cases, the standard punishment for lockout fouls in the Chinese Super League is a 4 round ban. Extrapolating from this, Li Ke is likely to face a similar punishment. In that case, if Ivan intends to call him up, I'm afraid he won't be able to make the national team due to the suspension issue.
