China bans Brazilian for one year for clattering into ref

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 […]

Just in time for the new Eredivisie season, ESPN+ has acquired the streaming rights to the Dutch league in the United States. On top of that, ESPN+ has also acquired the rights to the Australian A-League and Chinese Super League. The rights deal comes in the same week that ESPN+ acquired the rights to Serie […]

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 […]

London (AFP) – Antonio Conte has warned Diego Costa to ignore speculation about a potential move to the lucrative Chinese Super League and focus on firing Chelsea to the Premier League title. Reports this week claimed Tianjin Quanjian had agreed a deal with the Premier League leaders to sign the volatile Spain striker. It is […]

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 […]