Chinese soccer club 'quitting league' to protest refereeing

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The chairman of Baoding Rongda, a soccer club at the bottom of the second division of the Chinese league, announced that they would withdraw from the league following controversial refereeing decisions in a crucial match on Saturday night.

Meng Yongli, chairman of Rongda, burst into tears during a press conference after the China League One match between his club and Wuhan Zall that ended 2-2.

"I just hope our withdrawal could alert relevant authorities: If soccer is played in China like this, we can't afford to play – nobody can!" he said.

Baoding Rongda Chairman Meng Yongli bursts into tears. /VCG Photo

With only two wins in the previous 15 matches this season, Rongda led 2-1 against Zall after 90 minutes.

The game officials then added seven minutes of stoppage time, and sent off Rongda Coach Jo Bonfrere for protesting.

The referees awarded Zall a penalty in the 93rd minutes, which Zall striker Marcelo Moreno converted and leveled the score.

The draw keeps Rongda deeply buried in the relegation zone.

"I would like to announce that our Rongda Group, and the Baoding Rongda Football Club, are still too new and naive in the ways of Chinese professional soccer," Meng told a group of Rongda fans after the press conference.

"We cannot afford to play professional soccer anymore. I formally announce that our club will withdraw from Chinese professional soccer and its professional leagues. "

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced in the early hours of Sunday that it would launch an official investigation into the incident and called on the club to "express their opinions in a calm manner."

The CFA promised to release investigation results as soon as possible.

New twists?

A statement by Meng on Sunday may indicate Rongda's withdrawal is not certain yet.

"The Baoding Rongda Football Club have taken relevant measures and prepared relevant evidence, as we are determined to defend the rights that we deserve through appeals and other means," he wrote on social media.

According to a latest announcement by the club on Sunday afternoon, Meng has resigned as chairman and member of the board of Rongda for "personal reasons" and "with considerations of the long-term development of the club," which could suggest more twists and turns over the incident.

The Chinese soccer community is not unfamiliar with match-fixing scandals, as former CFA Vice Presidents Xie Yalong, Nan Yong and Yang Yimin were imprisoned several years ago for taking bribes, alongside Lu Jun, the country's only referee to have officiated in the final stage of the FIFA World Cup.

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