Nearly two days have passed since the Chinese Super League’s 11th round match where Beijing Guoan drew 2-2 with Shanghai Port at home, yet debate over a controversial decision continues. A media figure has suggested that Leonardo may have been offside before Li Xinxiang won a penalty, but Guoan no longer have any opportunity to file an appeal.
Wang Su, editor-in-chief of “Daily Sports,” posted a video on his personal social media account showing the sequence leading up to Li Xinxiang’s penalty. The clip captures Leonardo receiving a pass from a teammate before playing a through ball into the box, which allowed Li to surge forward and ultimately win the spot kick.
Wang argues that Leonardo’s position when receiving the ball was suspicious for offside—comparable in uncertainty to the positioning prior to Zhang Yuning’s spectacular goal. He claims that during the VAR review, officials focused excessively on Sergio Ramos’s tackle, neglecting to verify whether Leonardo was offside.
Some fans noted that Wang’s video omitted the position of Ru Zinan, who was at the near end of the play. However, a graphic shared by a journalist named Zijun included Ru’s position. Based solely on the shadow intervals on the pitch, it remains uncertain whether Leonardo was offside, and a line-drawing tool would be required for confirmation.
According to the broadcast footage, after Zhang Yuning’s first goal, the VAR review centered on Ramos’s sliding clearance inside his own penalty area. Officials used a rear-angle shot to determine that Ramos made contact with Li Xinxiang’s foot, leading referee Ma Ning to award the penalty and disallow Zhang’s goal. Whether VAR checked Leonardo’s potential offside before that moment was not shown in the broadcast.
As of post-match reports, there has been no indication that Guoan filed an appeal regarding this decision. According to the “Trial Measures for Club Appeals in Chinese Professional Football Leagues,” clubs must submit a written appeal within 24 hours after the match; otherwise, the Chinese Football Association will not accept it. Given that Guoan likely missed this window, even if new evidence emerges, they have no recourse. Moreover, since the decision has not stirred widespread controversy, the association is unlikely to review it proactively. This doubt may remain a topic of fan discussion without an official resolution.