Chinese football team fined for channelling evil spirits to help beat rivals
Changchun Xidu found guilty of placing paper charms in opponents’ dressing room before matches
A football club in China has been fined 30,000 yuan (US$4,000) for channelling evil spirits to help them beat their rivals.
Changchun Xidu Football Club, who play in the country’s third tier, were found guilty of putting “feudal superstition items” in their opponents’ dressing room.
Second in League 2 North, they were finally caught after placing the paper talismans in Shanxi Chongde Ronghai’s changing room before their home match on Saturday.
Changchun went on to win the game 2-0 against their eighth-placed opponents.
The use of paper talismans, known as fu in Chinese, is a Taoist practice believed to use spirit energy to bring positive outcomes, but they can also be misused to bring harm or misfortune.
The yellow talismans placed in Shanxi’s dressing room read: “By imperial decree, Shanxi Chongde Ronghai will fail.”