Racist insults against Acheampong: heavy sanction for Chengdu Rongcheng
The Chinese Professional Football League fined Chengdu Rongcheng FC $70,000 and ordered a partial closure of its stadium, after racist insults directed at Ghana international Frank Acheampong. Two supporters were also arrested and banned from stadiums for one year.
Frank Acheampong.@ghanasoccernet
The Chinese Professional Football League imposed a $70,000 fine on Chengdu Rongcheng FC after racist insults were made by some of its supporters against Ghana international Frank Acheampong. In addition to the fine, part of the club’s stands will be closed to the public for one match, the league’s governing body announced on Saturday after reviewing the case.
According to Chengdu police, two individuals were detained following the match and placed in administrative detention, a measure that can last up to twenty days. They were also given a one-year stadium ban. According to state newspaper The Global Times, Acheampong was the target of ‘insulting remarks’ and ‘discriminatory behavior’ by Chengdu Rongcheng supporters during an away match on October 31, the penultimate matchday of the season. The footage, widely shared on social media, shows, in particular, monkey chants aimed at the skin color of the Ghanaian striker for Henan FC, as well as repeated obscene gestures.
The Chinese Football Association’s regulations provide for sanctions against clubs in cases of offensive remarks or acts based on race, origin, sex, language, or religion. 32-year-old Frank Acheampong, who plays for Henan FC, has scored 14 goals in 30 appearances this season in the Chinese Super League.