Chinese FA bans 38 players for life in corruption crackdown
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Loading... - Hanjun Ying
- 11 Sep 2024
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The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has imposed lifetime bans on 38 players and five club officials following a two-year investigation into corruption, including match-fixing and gambling. The investigation revealed that 120 matches were rigged, involving 41 clubs.
Among the high-profile players banned are former Chinese internationals Jin Jingdao and Gu Chao, along with South Korean midfielder Son Jun-ho. Son's agent has strongly denied the allegations, with his current club, Suwon, continuing to support him.
The crackdown, part of a broader effort to clean up the sport in China, has led to criminal penalties for 44 individuals, including charges of bribery and illegal gambling activities. The CFA president, Song Kai, announced that 43 of the 44 involved were handed lifetime bans from football-related activities. The sport in China has long struggled with corruption, which many fans blame for the underperformance of the men's national team.
This is not the first time high-ranking football officials have faced consequences. In recent months, a former vice-president of the CFA was sentenced to 11 years for bribery, and other officials, including a former chairman of the CFA, received similar punishments .
