On Tuesday, Shenzhen Peng City Football Club released a statement announcing the removal of Jiang Zhipeng as team captain.
During the post-match fan appreciation session following the club’s Chinese Super League Round 11 home defeat to Shandong Taishan, Jiang Zhipeng engaged in a verbal altercation with Peng City supporters. Responding to applause from the stands, the defender pointed and shouted at the crowd. Head coach Chen Tao had to intervene and physically pull Jiang Zhipeng away. Some fans shouted back, “We were cheering for 90 minutes—what’s your problem?” Chen Tao then gestured to the supporters in apology.
In the official statement, Shenzhen Peng City said: “During the home team’s post-match thank-you session on May 10 in the 2026 Yibao Chinese Super League Round 11, player Jiang Zhipeng displayed severely inappropriate conduct, damaging the relationship between the team and its fans, and harming the club’s interests and image. The club deeply regrets this and extends its sincerest apologies to all Shenzhen fans and to all sectors that care about the growth of Shenzhen Peng City.”
The statement further announced, “Jiang Zhipeng is hereby relieved of his duties as first-team captain, and the club reserves the right to impose further internal disciplinary measures.” It added, “Professional football is fiercely competitive, and emotional swings are unavoidable, but fans are the reason for our existence and the greatest motivation for the team’s progress. The club will never tolerate any misconduct directed at supporters.”
This is the second time Jiang Zhipeng has faced disciplinary action this season. In the opening round of the CSL campaign, he was penalized for elbowing an opponent, causing the player to suffer a dislocated tooth and require 14 stitches to his lip.