The former president of Chinese Football Federation, who admitted to accepting large bribes, was sentenced to life in prison, state media reported Tuesday, as part of a broad anti-corruption campaign targeting sports in China. Chen Xuyuan tried to obtain “undue advantages for various football clubs and local football associations, which seriously undermines fair competition and order in the football industry,” according to ‘People’s Daily’.
As a result, a court in the central province of Hubei sentenced him to “life imprisonment for accepting bribes, deprived him of political rights for life and confiscated all his personal property,” said the newspaper. He was accused of receiving more than 81 million yuan (10.4 million euros) in bribes, “he pleaded guilty and expressed remorse,” according to Xinhua news agency.
In a powerful documentary aired on public television CCTV in January, Chen Xuyuan said he received bribes from soccer players who wanted to ask him for favors. Chen Xuyuan is president of the Chinese Football Association, between 2019 and 2023.
Chen Xuyuan also said that he was unable to enforce anti-corruption rules during his tenure, implying that this amounts to scrutiny of himself and the people he sees. “Fans can accept that the level of Chinese football is low, but they cannot tolerate corruption,” he admitted. “I want to apologize to all the Chinese fans.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
