In recent years, mainland Chinese citizens have been highly concerned about corruption cases in the Chinese football industry. On July 30th, Wang Xiaoping, former director of the Discipline Committee of the Chinese Football Association, and Liu Jun, former chairman of the Chinese Super League Limited Liability Company, were sentenced. As of now, a total of 18 individuals have been sentenced in the series of corruption cases that began in November 2022 in the football sector.
On July 30th, Wang Xiaoping, former director of the Discipline Committee of the Chinese Football Association, was sentenced for bribery. Wang Xiaoping was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison for the crime of bribery.
On the same day, Liu Jun, former chairman of the Chinese Super League Limited Liability Company, was sentenced for bribery and for non-state personnel bribery.
Liu Jun was sentenced to ten years in prison for bribery and two years for non-state personnel bribery, with a total of eleven years in prison.
On November 26, 2022, the official announcement stated that Li Tie was suspected of serious violations and was under investigation. The investigation of Li Tie triggered a major earthquake in the Chinese football world, leading to the downfall of at least a dozen high-ranking officials within the Chinese Football Association system of the Communist Youth League. By July 30th, 16 people had already been sentenced.
On March 26, 2024, five football-related corruption cases were announced on the same day:
Chen Xuyuan, former chairman of the Chinese Football Association, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Yu Hongchen, former chairman of the Chinese Athletics Association and former vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association, was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Dong Zheng, former general manager of China Ford Bao Football Industry Development Company and former general manager of Chinese Super League Limited Liability Company, was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Chen Yongliang, former executive deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Football Association and former minister of the national team management department, was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Liu Lei, former deputy director of the Wuhan National Fitness Center and former director of the competition department of the Wuhan Football Management Center, was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison.
On August 19, 2024, Li Yuyi, former vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association, and Fu Xiang, former director of the Wuhan Football Management Center, were sentenced.
Li Yuyi and Fu Xiang were both sentenced to 11 years in prison.
On August 20, 2024, the bribery case of Huang Song, former director of the Competition Department of the Chinese Football Association, and Gu Jianming, former chairman and secretary-general of the Chengdu Football Association and former member of the Executive Committee of the Chinese Football Association, was announced on the same day.
Huang Song was sentenced to 7 years in prison, and Gu Jianming was sentenced to 6 years in prison.
On August 21, 2024, the case of Ma Chengquan, former director of the Executive Bureau of the Professional League Council of the Chinese Football Association and former chairman of the Chinese Super League Limited Liability Company, for bribery and influence peddling was announced.
Ma Chengquan was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison.
On December 10, 2024, the bribery case of Qi Jun, former director of the Strategic Planning Department of the Chinese Football Association, was announced. Qi Jun was sentenced to 7 years in prison for the crime of bribery.
On December 11, 2024, the bribery case of Liu Yi, former deputy head of the preparatory group for the Chinese Football Association’s election and former secretary-general of the Chinese Football Association, was announced. Liu Yi was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the crime of bribery.
On December 11, 2024, the bribery case of Tan Hai, former director of the Referee Management Department of the Chinese Football Association, was announced. Tan Hai was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of bribery.
On December 12, 2024, the case of Liu Gang, former vice chairman of the Chengdu Football Association, for corruption, bribery, and unit bribery was announced. Liu Gang was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
On December 13, 2024, the first trial of Du Zhaocai, former member of the party group and deputy director of the National Sports Administration, former party secretary and vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association, for bribery was announced. Du Zhaocai was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the crime of bribery.
On December 13, 2024, the open verdict of Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese national men’s football team, for bribery, bribery, unit bribery, bribery of non-state personnel, and bribery of non-state personnel was announced. Li Tie was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
On April 30, 2025, the second open trial of Li Tie for bribery, bribery, unit bribery, bribery of non-state personnel, and bribery of non-state personnel was announced, rejecting the appeal and upholding the original verdict.