Beijing (AFP) – Brazilian forward Henrique Dourado was banned for 12 months and fined $30,000 on Friday after barging into the referee during a Chinese Super League football match. The former Fluminense and Flamengo star was sent off in Henan Songshan Longmen's 2-2 draw on Sunday at Wuhan Yangtze River after appearing to deliberately run […]

Beijing (AFP) – Fans will be allowed in when the coronavirus-delayed Chinese Super League season kicks off on Friday despite the country's strict Covid controls, state media reported. The season will finally see action three months later than usual in three neutral cities, as China sticks to a strict zero-Covid strategy that has meant tens […]

Beijing (AFP) – Chinese Super League club Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic folded on Tuesday after the pandemic deepened its debt woes, becoming the latest team to disband in the once big-spending division. Chongqing, where Jordi Cruyff was in charge in 2018-2019, went under barely 10 days before the season starts, dealing another blow to the fast-fading ambitions […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese big-spenders Jiangsu Suning have parted ways with their coach Choi Yong-Soo after a disappointing season was compounded by elimination from the AFC Champions League. Jiangsu — who share owners with Italy's Inter Milan — announced the South Korean's departure late Thursday, one day after their Champions League exit at the hands […]

Beijing (AFP) – China Super League club Tianjin Quanjin have denied reports they signed Chelsea striker Diego Costa for a record-breaking 90 million euros ($99 million). In a statement posted to its Weibo social media account late Thursday, the team said "so far we haven't communicated with Diego Costa about the transfer matter". The comment […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande are facing potential disciplinary action after their fans unfurled an anti-independence banner slamming "British dogs" during a game in Hong Kong. The large banner, which said "Annihilate British dogs, destroy HK independence poison" in Chinese, was held up during Evergrande's 6-0 AFC Champions League win over Hong […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – Luiz Felipe Scolari's Guangzhou Evergrande crushed Hong Kong's Eastern 6-0 on Tuesday as they ruthlessly ousted the debutants and their trailblazing female coach from the AFC Champions League. Paulinho and Alan both grabbed doubles to bury Eastern, whose coach Chan Yuen-ting, nicknamed 'Beef Ball', had become the first woman worldwide to […]

Osaka (Japan) (AFP) – Former Chelsea midfielder Ramires scored the goal that kept China's big-spending Jiangsu Suning on top of their AFC Champions League group with a 1-0 win at Japan's Gamba Osaka on Wednesday. The Brazilian midfielder, who cost Jiangsu 28 million euros from the London club in January 2016, struck a gorgeous finish […]

Guangzhou (AFP) – Kawasaki Frontale captain Yu Kobayashi coolly chipped home a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to grab a richly deserved 1-1 draw at Guangzhou Evergrande on Tuesday in the AFC Champions League. The Japanese side laid siege to the two-time Asian champions' goalmouth after the prolific Brazilian striker Alan put […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Shanghai Shenhua will withhold Qin Sheng's salary for the season as their chairman threatened Tuesday to drop the China international for the rest of his career after his "abominable" stamping on Belgium's Axel Witsel. Qin received a straight red card for stamping on the left foot of Tianjian Quanjian's Witsel as they […]

Beijing (AFP) – Shanghai Shenhua will withhold the salary of China international Qin Sheng for the rest of the season after condemning the midfielder's "abominable behaviour" in stamping on Belgium's Axel Witsel at the weekend. Qin received a straight red card for stamping on the foot of Tianjian Quanjian's Witsel as they jockeyed for position […]

Shanghai (AFP) – The Chinese Super League will take another step towards global recognition when it returns this week, boasting some of the world's best-paid players and a growing audience including live broadcasts in Britain. When Argentina's Carlos Tevez makes his league debut for Shanghai Shenhua, fans from Liaoning to Liverpool can tune in to […]

Beijing (AFP) – Chinese clubs splashed a record 388 million euros ($411 million) on footballers in the January-February transfer window despite an official crackdown on spending, with Oscar's heavyweight move to Shanghai SIPG leading the way. In spite of moves to curb "irrational" expenditure, China's top tier beat last year's record of 345 million euros […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Asia's football body on Tuesday said it has terminated the contract of cash-strapped LeSports to broadcast its games in China and found a new partner after reports of payment defaults and legal action. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it had "no alternative" but to end its $100 million, four-year deal […]

Seoul (AFP) – Brazilian forward Hulk blasted Shanghai SIPG to a 1-0 victory over FC Seoul but the big-spending Chinese giants needed to survive a penalty and a red card before winning their AFC Champions League opener on Tuesday. Hulk's rocket of a strike on 53 minutes got Andre Villas-Boas's team off to a winning […]