Cricket Exchange reports that the odds of Hefei Guiguan FC overturning their recent punishment appear slim, despite a public outcry from the club. In response to a disciplinary ruling by the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the club took to its official Weibo account to issue multiple statements. One of them included a petition titled “Joint Appeal from Players and Staff of Anhui Hefei Guiguan Football Club,” featuring signatures and red fingerprints from 20 players to confirm its authenticity.

Interestingly, three players had not yet stamped their fingerprints on the document. According to the club, all salaries and bonuses for players and staff from January to May were paid in full. The club also claimed that the required confirmation form was submitted on time—before the July 9, 5:00 p.m. deadline. However, the CFA rejected the submission on the grounds that it was not handed in on-site, deeming the electronic form invalid. Guiguan firmly stated that they have never defaulted on salaries and vowed to appeal the decision to protect the rights and reputation of their players, coaches, and staff.

A club spokesperson told reporters, “We regret this outcome. We followed all the procedures, paid all wages, and submitted the form on time. The CFA didn’t accept our wage records and disregarded our electronic documents.” Cricket Exchange also noted that the CFA had earlier listed four China League Two clubs—Baoding Rongda, Dalian Boyang, Hefei Guiguan, and Shenyang Dongjin—as having wage arrears. These clubs were required to fully compensate all pending salaries and bonuses by July 9. Failure to meet this deadline could lead to deregistration, particularly for those deemed to have serious violations.

This decision came after the CFA issued two official notices in June reminding clubs to complete their mid-season financial confirmations. A follow-up announcement on July 4 reemphasized the rules and submission procedures. Then, on July 11, the CFA declared that Shenyang Dongjin and Hefei Guiguan had been officially removed from the league due to their failure to meet the financial requirements.

Hefei Guiguan insists they’ve been unfairly treated. “We paid everything, yet we were still removed from the league,” the club added. While the emotional frustration is understandable, procedural noncompliance seems to be at the heart of the CFA’s decision. Without compelling new evidence or legal leverage, Cricket Exchange suggests that the chances of a successful appeal remain extremely low.