Chinese Football Association may declare 'war on tattoos'

The Chinese Football Association is considering banning tattoos from appearing on the pitch, according to unverified reports.

Photo on the left shows Wei Shihao, a member of China's national football team, is photographed covering up his tattoos during the match against Wales on March 22, 2018. Wei's tattoos are shown in the right hand photo. [Photo: China Plus]

This follows China's national team's 6-nil defeat to Wales in the China Cup on Thursday, where several Chinese players were spotted covering up their tattoos with patches during the game.

Regulations will be issued by CFA to prohibit ink on players' bodies, according to a report in thepaper.cn.

The news portal also claims that the ruling will be applied to the national side, including the Chinese Super League and other national team matches.

The "war on tattoos" has triggered a heated debate online.

Proponents of the policy are suggesting Chinese football players should focus more on their soccer skills rather than on their high-profile tattoos.

Others argue that children may also be influenced to get tattoos by watching the Chinese players.

However, a majority of those online argue it is unnecessary to ban tattoos, since it is a personal choice that has nothing to do with a player's ability on the field.

So far, the Chinese Football Association has not responded to the "tattoo issue" yet.