Chinese club fined over fans’ racist abuse of Ghanaian footballer

BEIJING: The Chinese Professional Football League fined first division side Chengdu Rongcheng FC $70,000 on Saturday after supporters hurled racist abuse at Ghanaian player Frank Acheampong.
Acheampong, 32, who plays for Henan FC, was the target of “abusive remarks” and “discriminatory behavior” by Chengdu Rongcheng fans during an away match on October 31, in the penultimate round of the season, the league said.
“The misconduct, captured on video and widely circulated on social media platforms, included ‘monkey-calls’ mocking the skin color of visiting Henan FC’s Ghanaian player Frank Acheampong and repeated middle-finger gestures,” according to The Global Times, a Chinese state-run newspaper.
The league’s disciplinary committee fined Chengdu Rongcheng 500,000 yuan ($70,000) and closed part of the stands for one match.
Acheampong has 23 international caps and played for Belgian club RSC Anderlecht between 2013 and 2017, according to the Transfermarkt website.
Two men, aged 37 and 41, were arrested shortly after the match and placed in administrative detention, which can last up to 20 days, according to Chengdu police.
They were also banned from entering any sports venue for 12 months to attend similar competitions.
Social media users denounced the insults directed at Acheampong.
“On behalf of the Chengdu fans, I apologize to you, I’m sorry, brother, congratulations on your victory, and I am also humiliated by the behavior of some of our Chengdu fans. I hope they will be punished as they deserve,” one user going by “aobilibili” wrote on the player’s Instagram page.
Under Chinese Football Association rules, any derogatory remarks or behavior by fans based on race, ethnicity, gender, language or religion can result in sanctions against the club.