China bans 43 soccer players and officials for life for match-fixing

CNN —

The Chinese Football Association has banned for life 38 soccer players and five club officials after a two-year investigation into match-fixing and gambling, as part of a crackdown on corruption in one of China’s most popular sports.

The investigation found that 120 matches had been fixed, with 41 football clubs involved, Zhang Xiaopeng, a senior official from the Ministry of Public Security, told a press conference in Dalian, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The report did not say whether all the matches were in China.

Three former Chinese internationals Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu and Gu Chao and South Korean player Son Jun-ho were among those banned for life, according to findings made public on Tuesday at the press conference by the ministry and the General Administration of Sport of China, at which the CFA president was also present.

None of the players have made any public comment. Son was released in March after being detained for 10 months in China and returned to South Korea.

Guo Tianyu competes for the ball during the 2018 Panda Cup International Youth Football Tournament between China and Hungary on May 23, 2018. Jiangsu FC Goalkeeper Gu Chao ® during the AFC Champions League 2017 Group H match on April 25, 2017. Jin Jingdao during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Australia and China on September 2, 2021 in Doha, Qatar.

Zhang said 44 individuals faced criminal penalties for bribery, gambling, and the illegal opening of casinos, while 17 others were found to have engaged in bribery and match-fixing.

CFA President Song Kai said 43 of the 44 had been banned for life from football-related activities, and 17 others received five-year bans.

The findings were announced ahead of a