On the night of July 20, the 24th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) match between Wuhan Sanzhen and Chengdu Rongcheng was a climax, with a heated atmosphere and a lot of "dramas" unfolding one after another. These "dramas" may lead to new controversies and even severe sanctions from the Football Association. Among them, Ren Hang, the captain of Wuhan Sanzhen, became the center of attention.
The controversy involving Renhang centered on the 77th minute, when Felipe and Park Ji-soo collided in an aerial scramble and both fell to the ground, leading to an altercation between the two players. The referee showed yellow cards to Felipe, Li Yang and Ren Hang respectively. In the 85th minute, Ren Hang was sent off after two consecutive yellow cards turned into red when he shoved down Felipe in the penalty area.
Even with the red card, Renhang's actions still fall within the realm of the game. However, if you pull the perspective to the whole game, his impact does not seem to be significant. However, after the match, Ren Hang became emotional over the content of his chat with netizen Dai & Lin.
According to a well-known media source, Ren Hang's chat with Dai & Lin contained two points: one was to express his dissatisfaction with the two yellow cards he received during the match; and the other was to sarcastically criticize the opposing players for being like a "city manager". Ren Hang insisted that he had nothing to do with the conflict between the two players and should not have received a yellow card. Dai & Lin responded by saying, "Luckily, Wuhan Sanzhen No. 25 didn't meet me." Ren Hang used the phrase "all the balls have his shadow" to describe his opponent, which Dai & Lin praised for its cleverness, and Ren Hang laughed at himself and said: "Wonderful".
The identity of Chengdu Rongcheng's No. 25 player and his reaction to the incident is not the focus of this article, so it is omitted. But the "drama" derived from the game is undoubtedly wonderful.
Article 82 of the CFA Discipline (2024) states that making irresponsible comments and intentionally attacking match officials or players will result in a suspension of at least one match or a fine of at least 10,000 RMB. Ren Hang's behavior violated at least two provisions: making irresponsible comments related to the match and attacking other players. Accordingly, he could face a suspension or fine from the FA.
In fact, the egregious effects of ridiculing an opposing player can go far beyond a one-game suspension or a $10,000 fine. Ren Hang's remarks not only appeared flippant, but were even suspected of denigrating a specific industry. His chat logs were widely forwarded, sparking concern and discussion among netizens and creating an adverse social impact. Therefore, the FA may take a more severe punishment against Ren Hang.
This incident serves as another reminder to players, teams and clubs that they should be careful what they say on social media and avoid making offensive statements related to the game, especially against referees and opponents.
In recent years, it is not uncommon to see players, coaches or club investors penalized by the Football Association for inappropriate comments in the Chinese Super League and Chinese League One. As clubs, it is all the more important for us to educate our players and other staff to respect the referees, opponents and fans, and work together to maintain order in the league.
