Punishment Over 24 Hours Old: 13 Teams Respond Differently—6 Admit Fault, 6 Stay Silent, 1 Protests Then Deletes Post

On January 29, a key meeting tied to football’s “anti-fake, anti-gambling, and anti-corruption” special rectification campaign was held in Beijing. Soon after, the Chinese Football Association released disciplinary decisions affecting 13 clubs across China’s professional leagues. One day on, those clubs have responded in notably different ways.

Among the 13 sanctioned teams, nine are currently in the Chinese Super League, while four come from the second tier: Changchun Yatai, Ningbo, Meizhou Hakka, and Suzhou Dongwu. Of all the penalties announced, Shanghai Shenhua and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger received the heaviest sanctions—each docked 10 points and fined RMB 1 million.

Following receipt of the disciplinary notices, Shanghai Shenhua, Shanghai Port, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Changchun Yatai, Ningbo, and Suzhou Dongwu issued public statements acknowledging past shortcomings and offering apologies. Shanghai Shenhua moved first, stating that the club “respects and accepts the decision” and extending its “sincerest apologies” to fans and partners.

In contrast, six clubs—Qingdao Hainiu, Shandong Taishan, Henan, Zhejiang, Wuhan Three Towns, and Meizhou Hakka—have not released any official comment on the ruling. In the eyes of many supporters, this silence has been interpreted as a form of wordless protest.

Beijing Guoan, however, took a more direct and highly visible approach. On the afternoon following the announcement, the club posted a sharply worded message on its official media channels: “People may act, but heaven sees all. There is a higher power above.” The statement quickly drew widespread attention and surged to the top of trending searches—but was deleted roughly an hour later.

After removing the post, Guoan did not issue a further public statement. Instead, club management reportedly convened a confidential meeting with fan representatives to explain the situation in detail. Following the meeting, a fan representative publicly insisted that the club “did nothing wrong—nothing wrong—nothing wrong.”