The former chairman of the Chinese Football Association, Chen Xuyuan, has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes worth US$11 million. This is part of a larger crackdown on corruption in China’s sports industry, particularly football, under President Xi Jinping. Chen was found to have taken advantage of his positions within the CFA and other bodies to illegally accept large sums of money, seriously damaging fair competition and order in the industry. This has had serious consequences for the national football industry, making China’s dream of hosting and winning the World Cup seem further away than ever.
In a televised documentary, Chen confessed to accepting money from individuals hoping to gain favor with him. He acknowledged the disappointment of Chinese fans in the state of football in the country but emphasized that corruption cannot be tolerated. Other officials within the CFA have also been implicated in corruption, with former national team coach Li Tie admitting to arranging bribes to secure his position and fix matches. These practices were described as common in football at the time. In separate bribery cases, former CFA official Chen Yongliang was sentenced to 14 years, while former Chinese Super League general manager Dong Zheng received eight years. The former chairman of the China Athletic Association, Yu Hongchen, was also sentenced to 13 years for the same crime.
Another case that caused shockwaves in Chinese football was that of South Korean international footballer Son Jun-ho, who was detained by Chinese authorities on suspicion of accepting bribes. Son, who played for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League, was released and returned home to South Korea. His international teammate, Lee Jae-sung, expressed gratitude for Son’s release, stating that it broke his heart when he first heard about his detention. These cases highlight the depth of corruption within Chinese football and the efforts being made to address it through legal action and investigations.
President Xi Jinping, a football fan himself, has a dream of China hosting and winning the World Cup. However, this dream seems increasingly distant with the ongoing corruption probe and disappointing results on the pitch. The crackdown on official graft in China’s sports industry is part of a broader campaign to clean up corruption within the country. The severity of the sentences handed down to officials like Chen Xuyuan and others indicates the government’s commitment to rooting out corruption and restoring integrity to Chinese football. The involvement of foreign players like Son Jun-ho also underscores the international implications of corruption in Chinese football and the efforts to address it through legal measures.
