September 10, (THEWILL) – The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has issued lifetime bans to 38 players and five club officials following a two-year investigation into match-fixing and gambling.
The probe, conducted by Chinese authorities, uncovered corruption in 120 matches involving 41 football clubs. Among those banned are former Chinese internationals Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu, and Gu Chao, as well as South Korean player Son Jun-ho.
Son, who was detained in China for 10 months, was released in March 2024 and has returned to South Korea. The investigation resulted in criminal penalties for 44 individuals on charges of bribery, gambling, and illegal casino operations.
CFA President Song Kai announced that 43 of the 44 individuals facing criminal charges have been banned for life from all football-related activities. An additional 17 people received five-year bans for their involvement in bribery and match-fixing schemes. The findings were revealed at a press conference in Dalian, attended by officials from the Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of Sport of China.
This crackdown on corruption comes as China’s men’s national team continues to underperform on the international stage. Fans have long blamed widespread corruption for the team’s poor results. The announcement precedes a World Cup qualifier match between China and Saudi Arabia, scheduled to take place in Dalian following China’s 7-0 loss to Japan last week.
The CFA’s actions are part of a broader effort to clean up Chinese football. In August 2024, a former vice president of the National Football Association received an 11-year prison sentence for accepting bribes, while a former director of the competition department was sentenced to seven years for similar offences.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
