The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced on Thursday the imposition of lifetime bans on seventy-three individuals and disciplinary action against thirteen professional clubs for involvement in match-fixing, gambling, and bribery. This escalation of the anti-corruption drive within Chinese football targets high-profile figures, reflecting a commitment to enforcing strict industry discipline, according to a CFA statement released via its official social media account.
Among those sanctioned for life is Li Tie, the former national team head coach who previously led the team from 2019 to 2021, who is already serving a twenty-year prison sentence for bribery convictions handed down in December 2024. Also implicated is Chen Xuyuan, the CFA's former chairman, who is reportedly serving a life sentence for accepting approximately $11 million in bribes.
The penalties extended deeply into the professional leagues, affecting eleven of the sixteen clubs that competed in the 2025 Chinese Super League (CSL) season. These sanctions include fines and significant point deductions, meaning nine teams will commence the 2026 CSL season in March with negative point totals.
High-profile clubs received substantial punishments, as reported by aljazeera.com; Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Shanghai Shenhua face ten-point reductions and one-million-yuan fines ($144,000). Reigning champions Shanghai Port and Beijing Guoan both received five-point reductions and 400,000-yuan fines for their involvement in improper transactions.
The CFA specified that the club infractions related broadly to match-fixing, gambling, and bribery, with the severity of punishment calibrated based on the volume and social impact of the illicit activities. The governing body reiterated a zero-tolerance stance, vowing to investigate any regulatory violations without leniency.
These integrity issues compound existing financial fragility within Chinese professional football, evidenced by the recent folding of Guangzhou FC, the CSL’s most successful club, after it failed to settle outstanding debts in 2025. This internal turmoil contrasts sharply with President Xi Jinping’s stated ambition for China to host and win a FIFA World Cup.
Geopolitically, the intense focus on internal corruption within football parallels broader crackdowns across state-linked sectors, signaling Beijing's intent to enforce centralized control over high-profile national endeavors. The CFA’s resolute action aims to restore international credibility, though recent global scrutiny on related sports corruption, such as US charges in Chinese basketball betting schemes, remains.
