Chinese authorities have returned to stricter enforcement of rules on visible tattoos for national team footballers, requiring them to conceal body art when representing the country.
National team players ordered to cover tattoos
Authorities in China have returned to stricter enforcement of previously imposed restrictions on visible tattoos among players of the national football team, after the severity of these measures had eased over the past years. Players of China's national football team are once again required to conceal their tattoos when wearing the national team shirt.
According to a report by French newspaper L'Equipe, several China national team players were forced to wear skin-coloured sleeves to hide their tattoos during the friendly against Tajikistan on 6 October, a match China lost 1-0.
Tattoos are still seen in some official circles in China as a sign of Western influence and what those circles describe as "decadence".
Recent results and the tougher stance
China's national football team recently suffered two heavy defeats, losing 3-0 to New Zealand and 5-0 to Palestine, before the 1-0 loss to Tajikistan in the friendly on 6 October.
Those recent results dragged China's national football team down to 96th in the FIFA world rankings. L'Equipe quoted Beijing-based journalist and analyst William Bi, who believes the recent slump may have angered officials higher up and prompted the tougher reimposition of the rules on tattoos.
Evolution of tattoo regulations since 2018
Chinese authorities first began clamping down on national team players' tattoos during the 2018-2019 season, ordering them covered during matches and media appearances.
In December 2021, the General Administration of Sport of China issued stricter directives to regulate the status of footballers, banning players of the first team and the under-23 side from getting new tattoos.
Under the December 2021 directives, players with existing tattoos had to remove them or cover them during training and matches, with exceptions only where the relevant body granted approval. The clampdown on tattoos in December 2021 reached the under-20s and younger sides, barring any player with a tattoo from a call-up.
Officials justified the December 2021 measures on tattoos as a way to present a positive image of footballers, turn them into role models and strengthen the players' national upbringing.
Different treatment of club players and upcoming friendlies
The same rules on tattoos do not apply to club players in China, who can still show their tattoos during Chinese league matches yet must hide them when they play for the national team.
China's national football team is scheduled to play friendlies against Malaysia on 14 November and Bahrain on 17 November. There is expected to be plenty of attention on whether China's national team players comply with the reimposed tattoo rules during these matches.
