FIFA slams China for changing match rules

World football governing body FIFA has joined Chinese players, coaches and fans in criticising a move by Chinese authorities to extend half-time in a bid to stamp out graft, state press said Thursday.

In an effort to fight corruption, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced that during the final weeks of the Super League, half-time would be extended from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

This is intended to ensure the second half of all league games kick off at the same time, with the aim being to prevent referees and players from fixing match outcomes.

Chinese football is in the midst of a huge match-fixing and bribe-taking scandal that has led to the arrests of two former CFA heads and numerous lower-level football officials.

But according to the Modern Express newspaper in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, FIFA is not happy with the rule change.

“The order by the CFA to standardise the time does not fall into the scope of extenuating circumstances,” the newspaper quoted a statement issued by FIFA on the matter as saying.

“This kind of behaviour amounts to amending football match rules and is obviously a violation of the rules.”

League coaches and players have roundly criticised the rule change as irrational, disruptive and potentially harmful to players’ physical condition.

“It’s unbelievable and ridiculous,” the China Daily quoted Wang Wen, head of a Beijing football fan club, as saying.

“The long break interrupts the players’ rhythm and destroys the completeness of soccer games.”

Chinese football authorities have however insisted the new rule will stay and — using language normally reserved for diplomatic spats — said it was within the “sovereign rights” of the CFA to change rules within China.

“We have not violated any regulations — as the governing body of the Super League, we have sovereign rights over match rules,” the paper quoted CFA official Liu Dianqiu as saying.