Three Shanghai Shenhua fans verbally harassed a father and his 7-8 year old kid in Wu Lei's jersey post match, triggering wide public condemnation and legal punishment.
On the evening of August 18, as the crowd was leaving the Shanghai Shenhua home game, three middle-aged men—aged 36, 41, and 51—blocked the entrance to the escalator and shouted harshly at a 7- or 8-year-old child wearing Wu Lei’s No. 7 jersey, as well as the child’s father, who was shielding the child behind him.The child cowered behind the adult, too terrified even to cry. Some spectators passing by stopped to watch, while others hurried past; no one stepped forward to intervene.
These three men had frequently attended Shenhua games together for many years, and there had been several previous instances where they got into arguments off the field due to their dissatisfaction with the visiting team’s fans.This time, however, there was no prior altercation; simply because they took issue with the jersey a child was wearing, they vented all their frustration over the team’s loss on this father and son, whom they had never met before.As soon as news of the
incident spread online, Wu Lei posted a message seeking information on the pair, stating his intention to send words of comfort and commemorative gifts to the wronged father and son.Many fans who have long followed the local Shanghai soccer scene proactively provided relevant leads, and officially registered Shenhua fan organizations promptly issued a public statement announcing that, during next month’s home game against Shandong Taishan, the stadium would temporarily suspend organized cheering activities.Sports commentator Han Qiaosheng also spoke out publicly, criticizing the behavior of the three individuals who had cornered and harassed the father and son. Numerous ordinary Shanghai fans also took the initiative to express their sincere apologies to the father and son through social media. The police subsequently issued a statement confirming that the three individuals involved in the disturbance had been detained in accordance with the law.
The topic
currently generating the most discussion in online public opinion is whether wearing a jersey of one’s favorite team when attending a game is a normal right of citizens or a provocative act intended to deliberately create conflict.
Imagine if, as a parent, you took your young child to a game, and simply because your child was wearing a jersey of their favorite player, the two of you were suddenly blocked at the escalator by three strangers who shouted at you for no reason—anyone would feel intimidated in that situation.
For a
long time, the common sense shared by sports fans and everyday life has been clear: celebrate together in victory and bear the burden together in defeat; under no circumstances should one take out one’s negative emotions on innocent bystanders.The need for emotional restraint in public settings is no empty phrase. While individuals certainly have the freedom to feel disappointed by the outcome of a game, they have absolutely no right to take their frustration out on innocent children. The legal consequences for causing a disturbance have always been clearly defined and well-documented.
In the wake of this incident, many parents—when considering taking their children to watch games in the future—will inevitably reconsider whether they should allow their children to wear their favorite team’s jersey.
