September 30, 2023
In the heated battle of the 27th round of the Chinese Super League
Beijing Guoan defeated Dalian Ren at home with a 2-0 shutout, thus effectively easing the recent winless haze.
In the course of the game, a moving scene emerged, Guoan fans in the stands spontaneously composed a song, as a way to pay tribute to Zhang Xizhe and the entire team of players who were unable to participate in the game due to the FA ban. This move undoubtedly injected a strong heart for the players of Guoan, but also put the CFA in an embarrassing situation.
On the day of the game, Guoan players had gathered under the stands. At this time, the fans sang in unison, which not only showed their support and love for the team, but also included disrespectful words such as "the FA is always XX". Given that Zhang Xizhe, the centerpiece of Guoan's midfield, was recently banned for seven games by the FA, it was clear that the fans were expressing their support for the player as well as their dissatisfaction with the FA in this unique way.
As a party to the incident, Zhang Xizhe appeared to be very happy with the encouragement from the fans. When the fans started to verbally attack the FA, Zhang Xizhe applauded and snickered with his teammates. It was clear that even though the long suspension by the FA made him say goodbye to the season early, what could be more comforting with the support of many fans? Currently, Beijing Guoan fans are openly denouncing the FA at their home ground, will this result in them receiving a ticket? Previously, they were fined by the FA for "insulting slogans" at their home stadium in Chengdu Rongcheng. Will the same fate befall Guoan fans for their "insulting lyrics"? According to the analysis, this situation is less likely. After all, the CFA knows that if you continue to anger Beijing Guoan, the consequences may be unpredictable, for the current turmoil of the Football Association, or to avoid causing more trouble for the better. Now, the most crucial thing is to get through the season smoothly. Therefore, no matter whether Guoan fans choose to believe the explanation of head coach Gao Hongbo, or put the blame on the disciplinary committee that issued the ticket, the problem seems to be unable to get a fundamental solution.
