The Chinese Ministry of Sports has banned soccer players on the national team from having tattoos and has “invited” those who already have these illustrations on their bodies to remove them, as the government struggles to curb “fashions” deemed “vulgar” .
From music to online games to reality shows and tutoring, China tries to keep its youth on the tight rein, imposing manly and patriotic values in opposition to what they see as moral decay coming from abroad.
Now, it’s the turn of the football team players. From now on, there will be a “formal ban on getting new tattoos”, said the Ministry of Sports on Tuesday (28).
“Those who already have tattoos are advised to erase them,” the statement continued.
“In the case of particular circumstances, tattoos must be covered during training and competitions”, adds the text.
In the case of the lower ranks of the national team, from the under-20 onwards, the coaches will be “sadly prohibited” from calling up tattooed players.
Tattoos are still frowned upon in China’s mostly conservative society, but they are starting to become popular among young people in big cities.
The Chinese Football Federation has ordered its international players to cover up tattoos in recent years. He also sent young football players to military camps to receive a Marxist-oriented education.
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