Photo: Screenshot from the official website of Chinese Professional Football League

The Chinese Professional Football League (CFL) announced penalties against China League Two team Changchun Xidu for placing superstitious items in an opponent's dressing room, the CFL unveiled on Wednesday night. The act was deemed a "negative influence" on the sport. 

The incident occurred on June 28, before a League Two match between Changchun Xidu and Shanxi Chongde Ronghai in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province. 

Changchun Xidu, a newly promoted "dark horse" in the League Two, received a public reprimand and a 30,000-yuan fine. 

According to the CFL's disciplinary statement, officials reviewed match reports, video evidence, and witness accounts, confirming that Changchun Xidu staff had placed several yellow talismans inscribed with curses in the visiting team's locker room. 

The talismans, photos of which went viral online, featured superstitious spell-like phrases like "Command Shanxi Chongde Ronghai to lose," along with similar hexes targeting other teams. 

The Changchun team has impressed fans with a strong league performance, currently sitting near the top of the table. However, the talisman incident has overshadowed their on-field achievements.  

"A professional football team's success should stem from the players' hard work, tactical planning, and teamwork, not from superstitious rituals," Nanjing-based sports commentator Zhu Yi shared with the Global Times. 

"It's ridiculous that a club capable of earning respect through real talent would resort to such absurdities. These talismans undermine their credibility and disrespect the spirit of fair competition. In the end, football is won by skill, not spells."