According to Beiqing Sports, on the afternoon of July 23rd, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) released an official disciplinary notice for professional league misconduct. Chengdu Rongcheng FC player and national team member Wei Shihao was found guilty of violent conduct by the CFA’s Disciplinary Committee after kicking Wuhan Three Towns FC player Deng Hanwen from behind during the 24th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL). As a result, he has been suspended for four matches and fined 40,000 yuan.
Shortly after the penalty was announced, Wei Shihao posted a picture on his personal social media platform as a response to the punishment. The image showed Shandong Taishan FC foreign player Crespo kicking Shanghai Shenhua FC national team player Zhu Chenjie in a similar manner during a match.
Crespo, who received two yellow cards and was sent off, was naturally suspended for one game but did not receive any additional penalties. The question of whether the CFA applies double standards in handling similar disciplinary cases has sparked much public debate. After receiving such a severe punishment, can Wei Shihao still be selected for the next national team training camp? This is something that requires careful consideration by the CFA and the national team coaching staff.
The media believes that regardless of the circumstances, the outcome of Wei Shihao’s punishment has already been determined, resulting in an irreparable loss for both Chengdu Rongcheng FC and the player himself. Although Wei Shihao sincerely apologized afterward, he must also seriously reflect on and learn from his recurring issues.
Additionally, the media noted that over the past two days, the national team coaching staff has been deliberating on the roster for the 18-strong team. Wei Shihao, who contributed significantly to the national team’s victory against Thailand in the 36-strong stage, had the potential to continue providing technical support in the 18-strong stage. However, this disciplinary incident may negatively impact his future national team career. It remains to be seen whether national team head coach Ivanković will select a player with serious disciplinary issues who will not participate in the upcoming training camp.