The Chinese Football Association has handed a six-match suspension to CC Yakai player Zhang Li for racially insulting Demba Ba who plays for Shanghai Shenhua.
An altercation broke out between the 33-year-old former Senegal international and the Chinese player when their teams met last week in a league match, with Shenhua coach Wu Jingui reporting the usage of racial insults by Li on Demba during a post match conference.
The Chinese FA subsequently announced it would open an investigation.
“The CFA has fined Changchun Yatai player Li Zhang 42,000 rmb ($6000) and suspended him for six games for using racist language towards Shanghai Shenhua’s Senegalese forward Demba Ba,”.
In the wake of the incident, Ba posted several tweets condemning racism in football and calling for sanctions against Li.
The former West Ham United, Newcastle United and Chelsea player, joined Shenhua in 2015, moving twice on loan to Turkish clubs Besiktas and Goztepe.
He returned to Hongkou Football Stadium in June 2018.
