The coach of Liaoning Shenyang, Xin Duan, has issued an apology for his “irrational” behavior after he was seen slapping a referee during a China League One match on Sunday.
Videos of the incident circulated on social media, showing Xin Duan confronting referee Chen Hao after a penalty was awarded against his team in the first half of their 4-0 away defeat against Nanjing City.
After Xin Duan’s protests on the touchline, he was shown a red card and subsequently struck the referee in response. Following the incident, Xin reportedly fainted and was taken to the hospital.
However, he later returned to the team hotel and issued an apology to the referee for his actions.
“After the match, the management of our club has communicated with Xin Duan, who, along with the management of the first-team team, has realized the gravity of the mistake…
“Xin Duan and the management of the first team recognised the seriousness of the mistake and found the match supervisor and the referee on duty at the first time to sincerely apologise for the irrational behaviour.”
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nanjing City currently holds the fourth position in the Chinese second-tier standings, whereas Liaoning Shenyang is placed 13th.
The news was reported by Martin Quin Pollard and Aadi Nair, with editing done by Christian Radnedge.