China forbids tattoos to its footballers

The players of the national team now have “the formal prohibition of having new tattoos”, announced the Ministry of Sports.

Le Monde with AFP

The Chinese Ministry of Sports has banned tattoos for national selection footballers and prayed those who have to “remove”, at the moment when the communist power intends to put a brake on trends judged vulgar.

music at the online games, via the reality and private lessons, China is trying in recent months to take control of its youth and to impose virile values, as opposed to a moral decadence that would come from abroad. In the viewfinder also, the “vulgar” contents broadcast on the small screen and social networks, called to privilege the “patriotic” values. The regulator of the Chinese audiovisual has called in recent months to establish “correct” criteria and to banish “effeminate” men and “vulgar influencers”.

The national team footballers henceforth “the formal ban on having new tattoos”, announced Tuesday the Ministry of Sports, inviting those who have to do them “to remove”. “In case of special circumstances (…) Tattoos should be covered” during training and competitions, said the department in a statement, which prohibits the recruitment of any tattooed athlete.

David Beckham blurred In a documentary

Tattoos are generally poorly perceived in China, which remains very predominantly a conservative society. But they have some success in the big cities especially with the younger generation.

The measurement was diverse appreciated by football fans. “Should we choose a good player or saint?”, Thus questioned a supporter on the Weibo social network.

This is not the first time that aestheticism is inviting Chinese football. The Federation already ordered the players in recent years to cover their tattoos. The football legend David Beckham had thus appeared blurred last year in a documentary of Chinese public television. A female university football meeting was canceled last year … After a ban on the players to dye the hair.

/Media reports.