Status: 12/30/2021 1:55 p.m.
The “abnormal aesthetic” of tattoos has long been a thorn in the side of the Chinese government. Now national soccer players should set a good example: They have been banned from tattoos.
The Chinese government has banned all national soccer players from getting new tattoos. “Players who have already been tattooed are advised to remove their tattoos themselves,” said a statement from the national sports authority. In exceptional cases, the athletes can cover up their tattoos during training sessions and games.
The U20 national teams are also “strictly forbidden” to nominate young talents with tattoos. Footballers should use the new rules to “set a positive example for society”. The sports authority added that teams should organize “ideological and political courses” with the aim of strengthening the “patriotic education” of the players.
In the future, the Chinese national players will no longer be allowed to get new tattoos. They should remove existing ones.
Image: AFP
Pixelated tattoos on TV
The measure received mainly cynical comments from China’s internet users. “Now I have finally found the reason why Messi is not part of the Chinese national team,” writes a user on the online platform Weibo. Another writes: “If a company does not perform well and only goes by its appearance, then it is not far from bankruptcy.”
In the past few months, the Chinese government has repeatedly denounced the “abnormal aesthetics” of public figures and its own youth. Tattoos have always been the source of criticism. For television broadcasts, tattooed body parts must always be pixelated.