September 9: Wei Shihao’s Circle Gesture Put Himself Out of the Championship Night

After Henan drew 0-0 with Chengdu Rongcheng on September 6 night, Wei Shihao walked toward the tunnel with his head down.

At the tunnel entrance, he turned around, smiled, and made a circle gesture with both hands.

The gesture lasted only three seconds but caused major controversy.

Its impact went far beyond those three seconds.

The article reviews the match.

The story goes back 90 minutes before kickoff.

In the 26th round of the 2026 CSL season, Chengdu Rongcheng could have won away and secured the title early.

The match ended 0-0.

Chengdu had no shots on target, while Liu Dianzuo helped preserve the draw.

The match became heated from midfield.

Referee Shen Yinhao showed 10 yellow cards, seven to Chengdu.

Wei Shihao received his fourth yellow card of the season in the 61st minute.

Four accumulated yellow cards mean an automatic suspension.

Baihualamu also received his fourth yellow in stoppage time.

Zhu Yi confirmed that Felipe, Wei Shihao, and Baihelamu were all suspended for four yellow cards.

Three attacking players were suspended together.

The reasons for their suspensions were different.

Felipe received his fourth yellow against Liaoning Tieren.

He also missed matches due to concussion substitution rules.

Concussion rest and yellow-card suspension are served separately.

Felipe therefore missed two consecutive matches.

He had scored 17 CSL goals this season.

On October 10, Chengdu only needed one point against Tianjin to win the title.

However, all three attackers could not play.

The article returns to Wei Shihao’s circle gesture.

Many fans considered the gesture provocative.

Wei Shihao had previous disputes with Henan supporters.

Before the match, he said he wanted to bring the championship back to Chengdu.

The gesture sparked further discussion after the match.

Bottles were thrown from the stands and online attacks appeared.

His wife responded that they had reported the matter to police.

Some comments said players should not provoke spectators.

Others recalled previous abuse Wei Shihao received from fans.

In the 2025 Tianjin incident, a fan who insulted his family was punished.

The article says both sides had improper behavior, but innocent family members should not be attacked.

The captain’s armband represents responsibility.

Chengdu Rongcheng renewed Wei Shihao and appointed him captain.

He said the team needed fighting spirit, unity, and passion.

He had also interacted with fans after training.

He was experiencing one of the most stable periods of his career.

But the circle gesture happened on September 6.

After the match, he said things including that the referee’s decisions were very good.

Those comments also spread online.

The article reviews Wei Shihao’s past controversies.

In 2023, he was suspended and fined for insulting a referee.

In 2024, he was sent off and punished for a foul.

In 2025, he experienced the Tianjin incident.

In 2026, the Zhengzhou incident became another focus.

He was also involved in controversy during the FA Cup.

The article introduces his career and personal background.

Chengdu Rongcheng still held a clear advantage in the standings.

After 26 rounds, Chengdu had 52 points and ranked first.

The title was not secured because of head-to-head rules.

The remaining schedule includes Tianjin, Shanghai Port, Dalian, and Shandong.

Only an extreme scenario could cause Chengdu to lose the title.

Tianjin ranked 14th and needed points.

Chengdu only needed one point.

Chengdu had never won at Zhengzhou Hanghai Stadium.

But the draw came at the cost of three suspensions.

Phoenix Mountain would host the championship night on October 10.

Felipe, Wei Shihao, and Baihelamu would all be in the stands.

The three key players could not participate.

More than 30,000 fans awaited the trophy.

The person lifting the trophy would wear the captain’s armband.

But it would not be number 7.