China bans 73 people from all football for life, will punish 13 clubs ahead of 2026 season
These include former Chinese Football Association (CFA) president Chen Xuyuan and former national team coach Li Tie.
Former CFA president Chen Xuyuan during his trial in March 2024. (Photo: AFP)
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Seventy-three people, including former Chinese Football Association (CFA) president Chen Xuyuan and former national team coach Li Tie, have been banned for life from all football-related activities.
Meanwhile, 13 clubs, including Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Shanghai Shenhua, Shanghai Port and Beijing Guoan, will face point deductions and financial penalties in the 2026 season.
At a press conference on Thursday (Jan 29) in Beijing, the CFA, the Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of Sport outlined the campaign against match‑fixing, betting and corrupt refereeing in the football industry.
“The Ministry of Public Security will continue to work with sports administrative departments to maintain a high‑pressure stance of strict law enforcement and severe punishment, effectively support and advance these efforts thoroughly and concretely,” a senior official from the Ministry of Public Security said.
A CFA official said: “For 73 industry personnel, including Chen Xuyuan and Li Tie, whose criminal offences have been confirmed by effective judicial judgments, the CFA has imposed a lifetime ban on engaging in any football‑related activities.
“For three other personnel whose unlawful acts were verified in the cases and who were decided by procuratorial organs not to be prosecuted according to law, a five‑year ban on engaging in any football‑related activities has been imposed.”
Li was convicted in 2025 after he appealed the first conviction in 2024 of taking bribes, offering bribes, unit bribery, accepting bribes as a non‑state employee and bribing non‑state employees, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Chen was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking bribes, with his political rights revoked for life and all his personal property confiscated. He was also convicted in 2024.
The CFA stressed that "the association will maintain a strict stance without wavering and continue to punish all kinds of violations and misconduct in football with a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude".
Talking about the point deductions and financial penalties for clubs in the 2026 season, the CFA official added: "In accordance with the Chinese Football Association Disciplinary Code, the CFA’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has decided to deduct points from the 2026 professional league standings and impose fines on 13 clubs, including Tianjin Jinmen Tiger Football Club."
"The point deductions and financial penalties imposed on clubs are based on the amount, nature, seriousness and social impact of the improper transactions in which each club was involved."
An official from the General Administration of Sport said: “This round of sanctions demonstrates the General Administration’s firm determination to strictly rectify the professional conduct and ethics in football.”
“Together with the Ministry of Public Security, it will guide the Chinese Football Association to resolutely investigate corruption cases in football, punish violations and misconduct, and rectify behaviour that undermines professional ethics.”
The Department also plans to “further tighten the supervisory responsibilities of sports administrative departments at all levels, football associations and the Chinese Football League” in a bid to improve achievements against “match‑fixing, betting and corrupt refereeing offences”.
The announcement followed lifetime bans issued in September 2024 on 43 soccer players and officials also for match-fixing.
Li was convicted of taking more than 110 million yuan (US$15.1 million) in bribes between 2015 and 2021 when he was coach of China’s national team.
He also offered bribes of about 3 million yuan to get his coaching role with the national team in 2019.
Li was also convicted of match-fixing from 2015-19, involving more than 39 million yuan.
At Wuhan Zall, he took additional bribes of over 26 million yuan from Hebei FC for player transfers and match-fixing.
Chen, who was chairman of the CFA during the time that Li was the national coach, accepted 16 million yuan from football clubs, including Hebei FC, from 2019 to 2021.
Chen took bribes totalling about 81 million yuan between 2010 and 2023, when he was president and chairman at Shanghai International Port Group - owner of Shanghai SIPG, who won the Chinese Super League in 2018 - followed by head of the CFA.
This article was first published on SCMP.
