KUALA LUMPUR - Chinese Super League side Shandong Taishan FC has been banned from participating in continental competition for two years following its no-show in the AFC Champions League Elite earlier in February, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Monday.

The club's decision not to show up for a game against Ulsan HD on Feb 19 led to it being deemed to have withdrawn from the tournament after it had commenced, resulting in the ban in line with the ACL Elite's Competition Regulations. This was the offense it was penalized for, rather than for simply failing to take part in the solitary match where all this stemmed from.

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The decision, reached by the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee Meeting on July 30, means the club will not be eligible to compete in any AFC tournament until at least the 2027-28 season and also incur a fine of $50,000.