China: 43 life bans in football for match-fixing

Chinese football is currently being rocked by a genuine corruption scandal. Although football officials in the country are repeatedly targeted by the authorities, the scale of the current case is exceptional even in China. After a two-year investigation, 43 life bans and numerous other penalties were handed down for match-fixing and illegal gambling. Among the accused is a foreign player who has now also been dismissed in his home country.

Chinese football has been rocked by a massive scandal that has caused uproar in both the domestic leagues and the international community. Following a two-year investigation, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has imposed lifetime bans on 43 people. The investigation centred on illegal betting, match-fixing and bribery involving a total of 120 matches and 41 clubs. Remarkably, one of the convicted players is a foreign professional: South Korean international Son Jun-ho.

These latest revelations come at a more than unfavourable time, as China's football is already being criticised for poor sporting performance and recurring cases of corruption. In recent years, high-ranking officials, such as former coach Li Tie and former CFA president Chen Xuyuan, have been involved in scandals and arrested. The Chinese government has repeatedly stepped up its efforts to clean up the football sector, but the current case shows that the challenges are deep-rooted.

More than 100 matches and suspects have been scrutinised

It was extensive investigations into Chinese football that led to the current corruption cases being uncovered. The authorities and the football association scrutinised numerous players in the sports system for around two years. A total of 120 matches and 128 people were targeted by the investigators, including prominent footballers, coaches, referees and club officials.

Although the exact matches in which manipulation took place and the details of the relevant events have not been disclosed, reports at least confirm that the allegations revolve around illegal collusion, betting fraud and match-fixing. These criminal activities could be linked to illegal betting platforms, which make it possible to bet large sums of money on the outcome of soccer matches even in China, an otherwise highly repressive gambling country.

It is noteworthy that the investigations not only concerned active players, but also former national players such as Jin Jingdao and the foreign midfielder Son Jun-ho from South Korea. Both are said to be deeply involved in the criminal activities. Son in particular, who played for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League, was accused of participating in illegal financial transactions and deliberately manipulating matches.

The penalties are not only a sign that the authorities are determined to clean up the soccer sector from corruption problems. They are also a warning to other players in the sport, underlining that illegal behavior will be severely punished. At the same time, the president of the Chinese Football Association, Song Kai, emphasized that all relevant information will also be made available to international organizations (probably above all FIFA) in order to examine possible further sanctions.

South Korean professional was also dismissed in his home country following the scandal in China

The case of South Korean international Son Jun-ho has also had consequences in his home country. Son, who played for Chinese club Shandong Taishan between January 2021 and summer 2023, was accused of being actively involved in corruption and match-fixing practices. Although he tearfully dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous” and emphasized that his confession had been forced under pressure, Son was unable to salvage his reputation. In particular, the allegation that he was threatened during the interrogation that his wife would also be arrested caused much outrage in the South Korean media.

His current South Korean club Suwon FC finally announced that the contract with him had been terminated, which according to the club was also at the professional's own request. Those responsible explained that it would be inappropriate for the fans to continue to employ a player with such incriminating allegations. Although Suwon FC initially planned to keep Son despite the investigation, the public pressure became too great. Sporting director Choi Soon-ho emphasized that the club had carefully considered the situation, but ultimately decided to terminate the contract to avoid further damage.

The move came at a time when Son was released after almost ten months in prison in China and returned to his home country. The media coverage of the scandal in South Korea left many questions unanswered, particularly regarding the interrogation methods and the credibility of the allegations.

Conclusion

Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/peking-forbidden-travel-china-1908167/