Chinese club Shandong Taishan has been banned from Asian club competition for two years for its no-show against South Korean side Ulsan HD in the AFC Champions League Elite in February.
The Chinese Super League side pulled out hours before the Feb. 19 match, blaming “serious physical discomfort” of players and saying they were unable to form a team.
The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Disciplinary and Ethics Commission said Shandong would not be able to play in the AFC’s club competitions up to and including the 2026/27 season editions, and fined the club US$50,000.
It also ordered Shandong to return a participation fee of US$600,000 and a performance bonus of US$200,000 to the AFC, along with compensation of US$40,000 to Ulsan “in respect of damages and losses claimed” by the South Korean club.
Shandong’s pull-out came days after the club said it had banned supporters for “inappropriate behavior” during a home ACL match against South Korean team Gwangju after fans in the crowd displayed images of South Korea’s last military dictator Chun Doo-hwan.
Chun is widely regarded as being responsible for for the violent suppression of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, during which the South Korean military crushed pro-democracy protests, leaving hundreds dead or missing.
Chun, who had seized power through a military coup, was de facto leader of the country at the time.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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