No punishment for Chinese Olympic football players.

Chinese Olympic Football team escape punishment for brawl(from RTHK)
2007-02-17 HKT 18:16
The Chinese Football Association has decided NOT to punish any of its Olympic team players for an embarrassing fight while playing in London earlier this month, according to the Beijing Evening News. Seven members of the team were sent home early following the brawl during a match against English Second Division club Queens Park Rangers. But an unnamed official was quoted by the paper as saying that it would be unfair to punish the players, as they were not responsible for the fight.

Here are some quotes from after the game, seems strange that no one is being punished.

Chinese player Zheng Tao was left unconscious and was taken to hospital after suffering a broken jaw.

The brawl seemed to break out when Gao Lin tried to kick the ball while jumping into an opposing player and, since returning to China, he has apologised for his part in the bust-up.

"It is a pity, I must apologise to all, I am the main person responsible for this incident," Gao told the Beijing Youth Daily. "I shall bear all consequences."

"We will investigate the incident and strictly punish those responsible," said CFA spokesman Dong Hua.

"Under no circumstances do we have any tolerance for such behaviour."
Meanwhile, China coach Ratomir Dujkovic admitted he missed the origins of the incident, but added: "Whether the local guys (QPR) or our guys began it is not important. It is unacceptable."

However, team manager Li Xiaoguang insists he will take full responsibility for the incident.

"I would like to make an official apology," he said. "Whatever the reasons for the incident, as the team manager, I will take the responsibility.

"We have noticed some of the young players can not control themselves well. But, although the participants in this incident were the players, I will take all the blame.

"The unexpected incident happened in any case and I will be conducting a serious inquiry into it. We have learnt a lesson from this incident."