Tactic Of The Week

With the football season upon us managers will be desperately searching for ways to get one up on their opponents and boost their chances of winning. One ruse to consider was that adopted by Changchun Xidu FC, who ahead of their China League Two fixture against Shanxi Chongde Ronghai on June 28th, decided to decorate their opponents’ dressing room with yellow paper charms.

Known as “fu”, the use of paper charms is a Taoist practice believed to use spirit energy to bring good fortune. However, they can also be subverted to cause harm and misfortune to others which is what the crafty hosts had in mind when they inscribed them with the message “By decree, Shanxi Chongde Ronghai must be defeated”.

It seemed to work as the home team ran out winners by 2-0, the goals coming in the 27th and 88th minutes. The league administrators, though, took a dim view of their attempts to summon spiritual assistance and fined them 30,000 yuan, around £3,500, making it a pyrrhic victory.

Back to the drawing board, chaps.