China imposes lifetime bans on 43 soccer players and authorities for involvement in game manipulation.
The probe revealed that 120 matches had been manipulated, implicating 41 football clubs, as revealed by Zhang Xiaopeng, a prominent figure from the Ministry of Public Security, during a press meeting in Dalian, as reported by the state-owned Xinhua News Agency.
The information did not specify if all the games were held in China.
Three ex-Chinese national team players, Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu, and Gu Chao, together with South Korean player Son Jun-ho, were among those handed lifetime bans, as disclosed during the press conference on Tuesday by both the Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of Sport of China, with the CFA president in attendance.
No public statement has been made by any of the implicated players. Son was discharged in March following a 10-month stint in Chinese detention and his return to South Korea.
Zhang highlighted that 44 individuals faced legal repercussions for bribery, gambling, and unlawful casino operations, while 17 others were implicated in bribery and game-fixing.
CFA President Song Kai revealed that 43 out of the 44 individuals received a lifetime ban from football-related activities, while the remaining 17 were given five-year bans.
These revelations were shared prior to a World Cup qualifier later in Dalian, where Team China would host Saudi Arabia after their 7-0 defeat away to Japan last week.
The game has been plagued by corruption, which spectators often attribute to the poor performances of the men's national team.
In response, China has intensified its war on soccer-related corruption.
In August, a previous vice president of the national football association was sentenced to 11 years in prison for accepting bribes, while a former director of the competition department received a seven-year sentence for the same offense.
Previously, a former CFA chairperson was given a life sentence in March.
The revelations about manipulated football matches affected several clubs, impacting the integrity of the sport in China.
Despite the corruption scandal, football remains a popular sport in the country, with many people still passionate about watching and playing.
