China bans 73 people from soccer for life in latest anti-corruption controversy

Chinese authorities have imposed lifetime bans on 73 individuals involved in soccer and deducted points from nine top-tier clubs as part of an expansive anti-corruption campaign targeting match-fixing in the country’s professional leagues.

Among those facing permanent exclusion from the sport are former national team coach Li Tie and Chen Xuyuan, the former president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA). Both men were previously convicted of accepting millions of dollars in bribes, with Li receiving a 20-year prison sentence and Chen handed a life term earlier this year.

“For 73 industry personnel, including Chen Xuyuan and Li Tie, whose criminal offenses have been confirmed by effective judicial judgments, the CFA has imposed lifetime bans on participating in any football-related activities,” a CFA official stated in the announcement.

The sweeping disciplinary action represents China’s most significant crackdown on corruption in soccer since similar campaigns in 2010 and 2012, which also resulted in numerous officials and players being imprisoned for match-fixing and bribery.

Shanghai Shenhua, last season’s runners-up in the Chinese Super League (CSL), and Tianjin Jinmen Tigers received the harshest club penalties. Both teams were docked 10 points for the upcoming season and fined 1 million yuan (approximately $143,788). Defending champions Shanghai Port will begin the 2026 season with a five-point deduction.

“The point deductions and financial penalties imposed on clubs are based on the amount, nature, seriousness and social impact of the improper transactions in which each club was involved,” the CFA explained in its statement. The association emphasized its commitment to maintaining a “zero-tolerance” policy toward corruption in Chinese soccer.

The penalties come at a challenging time for Chinese soccer, which has seen a dramatic decline in fortunes since its peak in the mid-2010s when clubs were spending hundreds of millions on foreign players like Oscar, Hulk, and Carlos Tevez. The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with strict government regulations limiting foreign investment and player salaries, has led to financial struggles for many clubs.

Li Tie, who played for Everton in the English Premier League between 2002 and 2006, managed China’s national team from 2019 to 2021 before being investigated for corruption. His fall from grace shocked many in Chinese soccer circles, as he was considered one of the country’s most successful players internationally.

This latest round of sanctions follows a previous announcement in September 2024, when the CFA banned 43 officials and players for life as part of the same anti-corruption drive. The combined penalties now affect over 100 individuals connected to Chinese professional soccer.

Industry analysts suggest the crackdown is part of a broader government effort to reform Chinese soccer, which has long been plagued by governance issues despite significant investment. President Xi Jinping, a known soccer enthusiast, has previously expressed ambitions for China to become a global soccer power, including hosting and winning the World Cup.

The Chinese government has made soccer development a national priority since 2015, building thousands of specialized schools and facilities. However, the men’s national team continues to struggle internationally, having qualified for the World Cup only once, in 2002.

For the affected clubs, the point deductions present significant competitive challenges for the upcoming seasons. Shanghai Shenhua, which narrowly missed the league title last season, will now face an uphill battle to qualify for Asian continental competitions due to their 10-point penalty.

The CFA has indicated that the investigations remain ongoing, suggesting further sanctions may be forthcoming as authorities continue to probe deeper into the sport’s governance and competitive integrity issues.