Summary
China's football association has banned 73 people for life, including former national coach Li Tie, due to match-fixing and corruption. Additionally, 13 top football clubs are being punished with fines and points deductions in ongoing efforts to clean up the sport. This is part of a broader anticorruption campaign under President Xi Jinping’s leadership.
Key Facts
- The Chinese Football Association (CFA) imposed lifetime bans on 73 individuals.
- Former national team coach Li Tie is among those banned and is already serving a prison sentence for bribery.
- 13 prominent football clubs face penalties, such as point docks and fines, for actions related to match-fixing and corruption.
- 11 of the 16 clubs from the 2025 Chinese Super League (CSL) season will start the 2026 season with negative points due to these penalties.
- Top clubs like Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Shanghai Shenhua face the heaviest penalties, including a 10-point reduction.
- The CFA mentioned punishments are to maintain fairness and discipline in the sport.
- The campaign against corruption in Chinese football is part of a larger effort led by President Xi Jinping.
- China did not qualify for the upcoming World Cup, which will take place in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.
