(Baoding Rongda Chairman Meng Yongli)

Baoding Rongda, a China League club in Heibei Province near Beijing, were ordered to play a home match behind closed doors on Wednesday after four match officials were attacked following a controversial draw.

According to several news reports, the club members were infuriated when the referee Huang Xiang added seven minutes of injury time at the end of a game that they were leading 2-1 against Wuhan Zall. The Chinese Football Association (CFA) says that the match officials were left with injuries to their heads, waists and legs.

The club and the Baoding Division were fined RMB 100,000 and RMB 50,000 respectively. Meng Yongli, the club’s chairman, was given a two-year nationwide stadium ban and a RMB 100,000 fine. Its Dutch head coach Johannes Bonfrere was banned from the bench for two matches and fined RMB 10,000.

The club’s chairman announced that the team would quit the division in protest against the sanctions but the club changed its decision and issued an apology hours later after Meng resigned.

Source: news.ifeng.com

Proofread by Linda Barouk