Fan Zhiyi to sue in betting jibe

[Clapham Grand]

Fan would never do this surely, he's an upstanding citizen of Chinese society!



Asian Footballer of the Year Fan Zhiyi has launched legal action against a Shanghai newspaper after it accused the China defender of betting on the China-Costa Rica World Cup game.

The article appeared on June 16 and claimed that when China lost their opening game against Costa Rica on June 4, Fan's gambling debts to a local syndicate were wiped out.

Fan was carrying a slight injury entering the World Cup and was substituted during the second half of the Costa Rica match, which China lost 2-0.

Fan did not play any part in China's subsequent matches against Brazil and Turkey, and the player, who is currently back in China with Shanghai Zhongyuan on loan from Dundee, is known to be furious with what the article implied.

"Anyone who knows me would know that Fan Zhiyi would never accept money to throw a match," said Fan last month. "I would never put the country's honour at stake for any amount of money and I carried an injury into the Costa Rica match."

Fan is fighting for an official apology from the publisher as well as £4,000 in compensation.

[Essexeagle]

Wow - thats a hell of a difference from the so called 'civilised west'.

Imagine how much Tony Adams would have wanted in compensation if he had been accused of throwing a game.

[Celestial Empire]

But did Fan (and his shenanagins), get the Bonetti s sacked ???

[Ralph]

Does anyone else remember the rumour going round at the time about Fan going to pay the bail of those guys arrested at Charlton for turning off the floodlights?

I hope to god this is nt true because between Fan throwing games, Terry 'You aint seen me, right' Venables and the floodlights at Upton Park, Im getting increasingly concerned that things aint what they seem in Football.