A Chinese football coach has apologized for acting “irrationally” after assaulting a referee during a second-tier match, Liaoning Shenyang said.
Following the China League One match, coach Xin Duan could be seen criticizing referee Chen Hao after a penalty was issued against his team in the first half of a 4-0 loss away to Nanjing City.
Xin was given a red card for his on-field complaints, provoking him to hit the official. According to Chinese media accounts, Xin was transported to the hospital after collapsing, then returned to the team hotel and apologized to the referee.
“In the first half of the match, the leader of our club disagreed with the referee’s decision and acted irrationally, which violated the disciplinary guidelines of the CFA League,” Liaoning Shenyang wrote in a statement on their official Weibo account on Sunday.
“After the game, our club’s management communicated with Xin Duan, who, along with the management of the first-team side, recognized the significance of the error…
“Xin Duan and the first team’s management recognized the gravity of the error and sought out the match supervisor and the umpire on duty for the first time to sincerely apologize for the irrational behaviour.”
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) did not react right away to a request for comment.
Nanjing City is ranked fourth in China’s second-tier rankings, while Liaoning Shenyang is ranked thirteenth.
