November 25 – Manchester City and its fans may have escaped UEFA sanction for their persistent booing of the Champions League anthem before matches, but FIFA looks unlikely to so lenient with the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) who are being investigated for a second booing incident against China.
The HKFA has already been sanctioned once for its fans booing the national anthem it shares with China – ‘The March of the Volunteers’.
HKFA was fined 40,000 Hong Kong dollars ($5,160) last month when fans booed the anthem during a World Cup qualifier match against Qatar in September.
The match had already courted controversy when the HKFA switched the venue to a smaller stadium. The Chinese objected saying that the country’s main sadium would allow for more travelling fans, but the HKFA said that venue was currently not up to playing standard.
The HKFA, which had already been warned by FIFA of its future conduct after the first incident, has been asked to provide a statement and evidence December 1, with a decision expected before the end of the month.
FIFA’s rules state that the home association is liable for attendees’ “improper conduct”, such as “displaying insulting or political slogans in any form, uttering insulting words or sounds”. There were some stadium banners with the message ‘Fight for Hong Kong’ as well as banners saying ‘Boo’ and ‘Hong Kong is not China’.
The match result was a 0-0 draw.
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