Six U-19 China footballers suspended for drinking

Six members of the Chinese men's U-19 national football team have been suspended for drinking and will be punished by the Chinese Football Association (CFA), head coach Cheng Yaodong confirmed on Friday.

Tao Qianglong, He Longhai, Han Dong, Ren Lihao, Peng Hao and Liu Zhurun left their training base without permission and went out drinking on the evening of May 30.

"The six players violated our rules last Saturday. We suspended their training immediately after being informed," said Cheng.

The head coach added that the young players need to be educated to help them reflect on their mistakes.

"They are still young after all, but this is a serious thing. They are in a critical stage. It is important to instill correct values in them," he said.

According to Cheng, all the six players have apologized for their behavior, but will still face punishment from the disciplinary committee of the CFA.