Referees dished out dozens of yellow cards and at least 12 players were sent off in only eight matches in what state media on Tuesday branded a “miserable” record in the Chinese Super League. The flurry of cards came as the CSL approaches its nervy climax to the coronavirus-hit season, with the title and automatic relegation both set to be decided over the next 10 days.
Wuhan Zall’s defeat on penalties to Qingdao Huanghai on Monday in a bitter relegation dogfight was particularly bad-tempered, with three players dismissed. Wuhan’s coaching staff were so incensed at one point that they stormed on to the pitch, reportedly causing South Korean referee Ko Hyung-jin to temporarily halt the match.