The Chinese national soccer team beat Kyrgyzstan 2-1 at the 2019 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup on Monday. Photo: VCG

Chinese General Administration of Sport has banned national soccer team players from having tattoos on their bodies, and for those already with tattoos, it is advised to remove or cover them during training and games, the administration said on Thursday. 

"Under-20 national soccer teams are strictly prohibited from recruiting players with tattoos. Rule-breakers from any club will be dealt with in accordance with articles laid out in the Disciplinary Code of the Chinese Football Association," the administration noted. 

This is not the first time that tattoos have become a "taboo" in Chinese national soccer teams. As early as March, 2018, players were asked to cover their tattoos with bandages during games. 

While no official instructions had been rolled out at the time, all soccer clubs and national teams had already received relevant notices, The Paper reported on Thursday. 

Thursday's announcement has been met with heated discussions on the internet. Some questioned if it's necessary to regulate players' personal behaviors so strictly. Some wondered whether the decision will affect their professional skills or if it violates ethical guidelines. "Instead of their appearances, more efforts should be made in improving the players' skills," said one netizen. 

While others held different opinions. A soccer fan and observer Niuyan Kanqiu with a fan base of 230,000 on China's Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo said that he supports the decision. 

"We should adjust such a one-size-fits-all approach to tattoos, but still, the problem that tattoos represent is worth alerting: it has become, rather than an expression of personality, a thing for showoff to meet their vanity. Banning tattoos can help young players to focus more on improving their skills," he said.

Global Times