Former President of the Chinese Football Association Sentenced to Life in Prison

Beijing, Beritasatu.com – Former president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), Chen Xuyuan, was sentenced to life in prison for bribery. Chen Xuyuan pleaded guilty to accepting 81 million yuan ($11.2 million; £8.9 million) in bribes last January.

An anti-corruption crackdown led by President Xi Jinping has devastated the sports, banking and military sectors. In football, more than a dozen coaches and players have been investigated.

The trial at the Huangshi Intermediate People's Court in central China revealed Chen's illicit activities from 2010 to 2023, including his previous role as president and chairman of Shanghai International Port Group.

Prosecutors said Chen received money and valuables in exchange for his help in obtaining project contracts and organizing sporting events. The court ruling said he had brought great damage to Chinese football.

State media also said that three other senior football officials were on Tuesday sentenced to between eight and 14 years in prison for corruption.

Earlier this year, former Everton midfielder and former head coach of the Chinese national team, Li Tie, admitted to fixing matches and offering bribes to people, including Chen, to get the job as China's top coach.

China's Foreign Ministry also confirmed that South Korea's Son Jun-ho, who plays for Shandong Taishan, was detained by police in connection with a bribery case.

South Korea's foreign ministry said this week that he had been released from detention.

Previously, President Xi had voiced his ambition to turn China into a great football country. In 2011, he stated his three targets for Chinese football, namely qualifying for the World Cup, hosting the world cup and becoming world champion.

Over the past decade, clubs in the Chinese Super League have spent huge sums to attract some of the world's top players, including Brazilian midfielder Oscar, former Argentina striker Carlos Tevez and Belgian international Axel Witsel.

However, this resulted in the club racking up debt and the CFA announcing a salary cap in 2020. At the time, it was said that the move was aimed at focusing investment on developing domestic talent rather than importing international stars.

Now, only a few foreign players remain in the league. The recent detention of top football figures has dealt another setback to the country's football ambitions.