Coconuts Hong KongToday, 4:57 PM
FIFA has, yet again, opened disciplinary proceedings against the Hong Kong Football Association after local fans booed the Chinese national anthem during last Tuesday's Hong Kong-China match at Mong Kok Stadium.
The match, in which Hong Kong dealt a blow to China's hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, saw local football fans jeer during the pre-match rendition of the national anthem, which Hong Kong shares with China. Some fans brought signs saying "BOO" as a reference to the fact that the exact same behaviour earned HKFA a HKD40,000 and warning from FIFA in October.
After the fine in October, HKFA released a statement saying that "FIFA has warned the HKFA that any further infringements will lead to more severe sanctions", and asked local football fanatics to refrain from such behaviour in the future. We're going to take a guess and say that their plea didn't really work, then.
In an official statement on Tuesday, the HKFA said that the final punishment will be released by FIFA by the end of December, but it doesn't look like HKFA's going to get a slap on the wrist this time.
Photo: AFP
The match, in which Hong Kong dealt a blow to China's hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, saw local football fans jeer during the pre-match rendition of the national anthem, which Hong Kong shares with China. Some fans brought signs saying "BOO" as a reference to the fact that the exact same behaviour earned HKFA a HKD40,000 and warning from FIFA in October.
After the fine in October, HKFA released a statement saying that "FIFA has warned the HKFA that any further infringements will lead to more severe sanctions", and asked local football fanatics to refrain from such behaviour in the future. We're going to take a guess and say that their plea didn't really work, then.
In an official statement on Tuesday, the HKFA said that the final punishment will be released by FIFA by the end of December, but it doesn't look like HKFA's going to get a slap on the wrist this time.
Photo: AFP
http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2015/11/26/fifa-fine-hong-kong-booing-national-anthem-again
