BEIJING, July 29 -- Chinese Football Association has announced that Tianjin Soccer Team is disqualified from the upcoming National Games held in October, and participants in the "Beat referee incident" must carry out self-criticism and will receive further punishments.

    The group A match between Beijing Soccer Team and its Tianjin counterpart held Sunday in Tai'an city in east China's Shandong Province. After the match, He Zhibiao, the referee was chased and beaten by Tianjin football players, because his behavior "aroused intense discontent among Tianjin players".

    In the second half, the referee gave three Tianjin players three red cards, which enraged the players. When the match was over, He Tengjiao, Su Lide and other players in Tianjin Soccer Team tried to beat the referee. Among them, Zhao Shitong, a stand-by player, ran after and pulled down the referee.

    The fighting lasted 20 minutes before the security men controlled the situation. The behavior of these players irritated spectators, according to media reports.

    Sun Jianjun, head coach of Tianjin Football Team expressed his apologies at the press conference after the match.

    SOUNDBITE: Sun Jianjun, head coach of Tianjin Football Team "As head coach, I should bear the primary responsibility for the incident. I will help the young players draw lesssons from the incident and hope they realize their fatal mistakes."

    It is learnt that the players involved in the fighting might be banned from taking part in football competition, media reports predicted.

    Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tai'an.