The appearance of China’s national team players is back in the spotlight after a run of poor results. China conceded eight goals in defeats to New Zealand and Palestine and slipped to 96th in the FIFA rankings.
According to L’Équipe, Chinese authorities have tightened restrictions on visible tattoos after several years of inconsistent enforcement. Players are now required to cover any visible tattoos when representing the national team.
So Foot linked the renewed restrictions to the authorities’ view of tattoos as a symbol of what they consider “Western decadence”. The policy reflects how they expect international players to present themselves as representatives of the country and role models for the public.
Players can wear skin-toned sleeves to cover their tattoos, as they did in the 1–0 friendly defeat to Tajikistan on 6 October. Visible tattoos are still permitted in domestic league matches.
The restrictions date back to the 2018–19 season, when national team players were first asked to cover their tattoos. Enforcement eased from 2020 before sports authorities issued stricter directives in late 2021, including a ban on getting new tattoos.
Beijing-based analyst William Bi told L’Équipe that the recent defeats may have frustrated the authorities, which could explain why they tightened enforcement after years of inconsistent application.
China face Malaysia on 14 November and Bahrain on 17 November in two friendlies as they prepare for the Asian Cup. The team will be looking to turn their results around after the November camp reignited debate over what players can display while wearing the national shirt.
