CHINA’S government has moved to ban tattoos on footballers, according to reports.
In January, the government pledged to prohibit ink on bodies from TV shows.
And AS report that same ruling is now being applied to football, with several of international players forced to cover up as China faced Wales.
The report claims the “war on tattoos” is part of a bid to preserve Chinese values and promote a “healthy” culture.
For now, the ban appears to be limited only to the national side, and it is unclear whether it will also apply to club football.
Several of the big-name players who moved from Europe to the Chinese Super League do sport visible tattoos.
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China recently met Wales in the China Cup, where they were hammered 6-0.
In the match, various players for the home side wore patches to cover visible tattoos, with the contest being shown live on TV around the world.
Gareth Bale netted a hat-trick during the friendly tournament’s opener, which saw him become Wales’ all-time leading goal scorer.
China have big ambitions to reach the 2022 World Cup, having made Marcello Lippi the highest-paid manager in world, on a wage of around £350,000-a-week.
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