Zhou Junxiang/Oriental Images/Reuters
Chinese Football Association (CFA) President Chen Xiuyuan gives a speech at the China Football Conference on September 2, 2020.
Hong Kong
CNN
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The former president of China's official soccer association has been sentenced to life in prison by a court in central China's Hubei province in the latest crackdown on the country's corruption-plagued professional soccer league.
Former soccer chief Chen Xueyuan was jailed on Tuesday along with several sports executives following a months-long investigation, state media said.
Despite Chinese leader Xi Jinping's vision to transform China into a soccer powerhouse, the development of high-level professional soccer has been stalled by poor financial decision-making and high-level corruption.
Chen is one of a number of football officials ensnared in the ruling Community Party's anti-corruption investigation, which also includes Yu Hongchen, former vice president of the association, and former national team head coach Li Tie. It becomes.
State media said Mr. Chen had his assets confiscated and was stripped of political rights for life, penalties often meted out to disgraced officials.
In sentencing Chen, the Intermediate People's Court in Huang city said that he used his position to support companies and individuals who cooperated in exchange for financial compensation, according to state media reports.
According to the court, he received $10.6 million (77 million yuan) out of the $11.2 million (81 million yuan) offered 217 times from 2010 to 2023; It was “extraordinarily expensive.”
“[His act] “This has caused serious damage to the order and fairness of the football world, the industry's ecosystem, and serious damage to the country's football business,” the court said.
Footage showed Chen taking a bow from the dock. “I hereby apologize to my fans across the country, and I sincerely apologize in the hope that they will forgive me.''
The court said it granted leniency because Chen “admitted and repented of his crimes” and cooperated with the investigation. China maintains the death penalty, including for corruption.
Separately, Chen Yongliang, former deputy secretary general of the Football Association, and Yu, former vice president, were sentenced to 14 years in prison and 13 years in prison, respectively. Former Chinese Super League general manager Dong Zhen was sentenced to eight years in prison.
China is one of the world's sporting powers, and its athletes consistently dominate major events such as the Olympic and Winter Olympics. However, there has historically been less success in globally popular team sports like soccer, with men's teams struggling to compete at a high level.
Mr. Xi, an avowed soccer fan, is trying to change that.
In 2011, Mr. Xi, then China's vice president, outlined a three-phase plan for the men's national team, with his sights set on sports' biggest prize. That means qualifying for the next World Cup, hosting the World Cup, and winning the World Cup. World Cup.
Five years later, the Chinese Football Association announced plans to make the country a “world soccer powerhouse” by 2050. But a persistent culture of corruption and the economic fallout from the pandemic have combined to hamper efforts.
The Chinese men's soccer team is currently in third place in the FIFA World Cup qualifying group with four points, behind group leader South Korea and second place Thailand. Last Thursday, the team drew 2-2 with city-state Singapore, dealing a huge blow to the country's 2026 World Cup dreams. The two sides will meet again on Tuesday in what is being touted as an important match for underperforming China.
