Thousands Of China Soccer Fans Protest Player Suspension

From Reuters:

Tens of thousands of soccer fans marched in the Chinese city of Wuhan, blocked traffic and some charged a police blockade in protest against an eight-game suspension of a star player, a Hong Kong newspaper said.

The Chinese Football Association suspended defender Li Weifeng and fined him 8,000 yuan ($1,169) on Tuesday for a scuffle with a player from the opposing team who was given the same punishment. The September 28 game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Li, 30, is a former captain of China’s national team who played on the Olympic squad in August.

Li’s Wuhan Guanggu club later announced its withdrawal from the Chinese Super League in protest, saying it would sue the Football Association and fuelling the outrage of Wuhan’s fans.