Beijing - Chinese police have threatened to take tough action against football fans who swear during Barcelona's friendly against Beijing Guo'an on Sunday, as the city steps up efforts to improve spectator behaviour ahead of the 2008 Olympics, state media said on Saturday. "Those who initiate swearing or goad the crowd into mass cursing at the game will be ejected from the stadium or even face detention and a 12-month ban from attending football matches," police spokesman Liu Chunjiang told the official Xinhua news agency.
The police will treat control of the expected 30,000 fans at the game on Sunday as a "drill for next year's Olympics," Liu said.
"It is just way out of line to have 30,000 people shouting and swearing en masse," he said.
"There will be a police officer in each stand videoing the crowd during the match in order to collect evidence of fans' bad behaviour, from cursing and fighting to throwing litter or running onto the field," Liu said.
Liu said the police would record all offences but were not trying to spoil the fans' day.
"What we are trying to do is to give the right guidance in how to view a football match, not to impose anything on the spectator," he told the agency.
The Beijing Fengtai Stadium, where the game will be held, has a reputation for bad language, but swearing and abuse are common at football grounds across China.
Barcelona's Brazilian player Ronaldinho remains the favourite footballer of many Chinese fans.
Known as Xiao Luo, or Little Ronaldo, the younger Brazilian superstar promoted the Beijing Olympics and Nike products with Chinese 110-metre-hurdle world record holder Liu Xiang in Beijing on Friday.
