Responding to "Double Standards"! Media Interpretation Supports the Football Association, Wei Shihao's "Repeat Offense" Should Be Severely Punished

In the 24th round of the Chinese Super League, Chengdu Rongcheng visited Wuhan Three Towns, and Wei Shihao came on as a substitute in the second half. Facing his former club, Wei Shihao became the focus after the match, not because of outstanding performance on the field, but due to a rough foul. In the 63rd minute of the game, Wei Shihao kicked Deng Hanwen from behind and was directly shown a red card by the referee. Immediately, criticism pointed at Wei Shihao, accusing him of harming the team again by failing to control his temper.

After the match, Wei Shihao also apologized on social media, and the incident was expected to gradually calm down. However, earlier, a disciplinary statement from the Football Association once again pushed Wei Shihao into the whirlpool of public opinion. The content of the penalty was: Wei Shihao committed violent behavior by kicking an opposing player from behind, resulting in a four-match suspension and a fine of 40,000 yuan.

Once the statement was issued, fans began heated discussions. Wei Shihao himself added fuel to the fire on social media by posting a GIF of Cresan kicking Zhu Chenjie from behind in the 18th round match between Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua. Although there was no caption, everyone knew what he intended to express—questioning the inconsistency in disciplinary standards.

Afterwards, many netizens left comments on Wei Shihao's social media, mainly expressing two opinions: some believed Wei Shihao should admit his mistake, while others thought the Football Association's penalty was double-standard.

From the GIF, Cresan not only kicked Zhu Chenjie but also pushed Gao Tianyi. All this happened under the referee's watch, and Cresan received a second yellow card and was sent off, with no additional penalty afterwards.

As the saying goes, "People worry not about scarcity but about inequality." We often hear keywords like "double standards." Regarding this topic, different people hold different views. Some support Wei Shihao's perspective, while others scoff at it. For example, journalist Xiao Nan wrote on social media: "There's nothing to say about Wei Shihao's additional penalty. The player made a mistake; condemnation and apology are normal. However, the photo posted by the player indeed gives a sense of 'double-standard penalty,' which requires the Football Association to provide a reasonable explanation. Maintaining discipline in matches is justified, but only by ensuring fairness and justice in handling and penalties can public trust be gained!"

However, some believe the heavier penalty is because Wei Shihao is a repeat offender, having committed multiple violent acts before, thus warranting stricter punishment. Cresan's action was clearly aimed at the ball rather than the person, and it was his first offense, so no additional penalty was imposed.

The clearest and most convincing explanation came from media commentator Pan Weili. He mainly interpreted from the perspective of disciplinary guidelines. Firstly, Cresan's challenge against Zhu Chenjie occurred near midfield and was judged as excessive action during ball contention. Wei Shihao's kick against Deng Hanwen was deemed to have occurred after the ball had gone out of bounds, a retaliatory act during a dead-ball situation. Additionally, Article 48 of the Football Association's disciplinary guidelines includes "repeat offenses" and "causing severe social impact," both of which Wei Shihao meets.

Indeed, the rules explicitly state that violations occurring during stoppages or dead-ball situations should be penalized more severely. Moreover, Wei Shihao's violent behavior is not his first offense, indicating repeated misconduct, which also fits the criteria for heavier punishment.

Therefore, once the penalty is issued, Wei Shihao should seriously reflect and strive to avoid similar behavior, rather than choosing silent protest—such an attitude might be the root cause of his repeated offenses.