Chinese football club fined for using talismans to beat opponents

Chinese third-tier club Changchun Xidu has been fined 30,000 yuan (US$4,000) for putting "feudal superstition items" in the opponent's dressing room before matches.

The paper talismans that Changchun Xidu put in Shanxi Chongde Ronghai's dressing room. Photo taken from Weibo

The incident occurred ahead of Changchun Xidu’s 2-0 home victory over Shanxi Chongde Ronghai on June 28.

Before kickoff, Changchun Xidu were caught placing paper talismans inside their Shanxi Chongde’s dressing room, the South China Morning Post reported.

The yellow talismans placed in Shanxi's dressing room read: "By imperial decree, Shanxi Chongde Ronghai will fail."

The use of paper talismans, known as fu in Chinese, is rooted in traditional Chinese spiritual beliefs, often intended to bring good fortune or ward off evil. However, they are also believed to bring misfortune to others when misused.

According to local media, other teams in League 2 have also reported finding similar paper talismans at Changchun Xidu's stadium.

After 17 rounds of League 2, Changchun Xidu are in second place with 10 wins, 4 losses, and 3 draws, just one point behind leaders Wuxi Wuguo. The league's top four teams will advance to the promotion play-offs for the second tier, China League. The remaining eight teams will battle to avoid relegation.

This is not the first time Chinese football has made headlines for attempts to use spiritual means to influence match outcomes. In 2017, Chinese Super League club Henan Jianye, then at the bottom of the table, invited 15 Taoist priests to perform rituals on their home pitch before a crucial match against Shandong Luneng Taishan. The team went on to win 2-1 and avoided relegation, finishing eight points clear of the drop zone.

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