China players told to cover tattoos again after run of defeats

China’s football authorities have revived strict rules requiring national-team players to conceal visible tattoos, with the move coming as the side faces mounting pressure after a series of heavy defeats.

Several players wore skin-coloured sleeves to hide their tattoos during China’s 1-0 friendly defeat by Tajikistan on 6 October, according to French newspaper L’Equipe.

The renewed enforcement follows a difficult run for China, who were beaten 3-0 by New Zealand and 5-0 by Palestine before losing to Tajikistan.

Those results have seen China fall to 96th in the FIFA world rankings.

William P, a Beijing-based journalist and analyst, told L’Equipe that the team’s poor performances may have caused senior officials to take a tougher stance on the issue.

Tattoos are still viewed in some official circles as a sign of Western cultural influence and what those groups describe as “degeneracy”. The stricter approach has therefore returned at a time when scrutiny of Chinese football is increasing.

Rules introduced in 2018-19

The restrictions are not new. Chinese authorities began introducing limits on tattoos among national-team players during the 2018-19 season, requiring them to cover visible tattoos during matches and media appearances.

Enforcement became less rigorous from 2020, but the General Administration of Sport of China issued more stringent guidance in December 2021.

Under those instructions, players in the senior national team and China U23 were prohibited from getting new tattoos. Players who already had tattoos were told to remove them or cover them during training and matches, unless they received permission from the relevant authority in exceptional circumstances.

The policy also extended to China U20 and younger national teams, with players who had tattoos barred from selection.

Authorities said the measures were intended to ensure footballers presented a positive image and acted as role models in society. They also linked the policy to the promotion of patriotic education among players.

There is a distinction between the treatment of national-team and club players. Footballers may still show their tattoos while playing in the Chinese league, but are expected to conceal them when representing China.

Interest in the policy is likely to return during China’s next two friendlies. They face Malaysia on 14 November before playing Bahrain on 17 November.

The matches will provide an indication of how closely the players follow the renewed instructions as China prepare for their forthcoming commitments.