The General Administration of Sport and the Ministry of Public Security held a joint press conference in Dalian on September 10 on a special campaign against match-fixing, gambling and corruption in professional football leagues, the administration said. The Chinese Football Association announced disciplinary punishments against 61 people implicated in the cases1.
The Ministry of Public Security's public security administration bureau said that since 2022 it had directed police in Liaoning and other areas to break up betting and match-fixing cases. Police detained 128 suspects, dismantled 12 online gambling gangs and verified 120 matches suspected of betting or fixing. Criminal coercive measures were taken against 83 players, referees, coaches and club managers1. Courts have so far ruled on 44 football personnel, with 34 given fixed-term prison sentences or heavier penalties1.
The football association said that under its disciplinary code, 43 people including Jin Jingdao were banned for life from any football-related activity in China, and 17 people including Bahejiang Wuerman were banned for five years1. It also named Shen Liuxi, a former Hangzhou Greentown player who was banned for life in 2013, saying he was convicted of running a gambling operation in this case and that the association had again told the industry to enforce his ban1.
"给予金敬道等43人终身禁止在我国从事任何与足球有关活动的处罚"
The administration's competitive sports department called the problem a "tumor" eroding the healthy body of football and an "obstacle" to the sport's revival, and said it would keep working with police to stop it1.
| Punishment | Number of people | Named example |
|---|---|---|
| Lifetime ban from football activity in China | 43 | Jin Jingdao |
| Five-year ban from football activity in China | 17 | Bahejiang Wuerman |
What it means for players
The bans cover any football-related activity in China, not betting by the public, and the cases described involve players, referees, coaches and club managers rather than ordinary punters1. The police operation targeted online gambling gangs and match manipulation, and 12 such gangs were broken up1. For anyone in China who bets on football, the case is a reminder that the authorities treat betting-linked fixing as a criminal matter: 34 people have received prison terms of a year or more1. China's rules on gambling by residents are covered in the China guide, and warning signs of illegal betting operations are set out in the scams and safety guide.
What happens next
Police said they will keep pursuing fixing, betting, match manipulation and bribery cases and will notify the administration and the football association of implicated personnel in further batches1.
The administration said it will deepen its joint mechanism with police, strengthen party building in football, improve industry supervision and promote football culture1. No dates for those steps were given1.
Sources1 sources
- 国家体育总局 公安部深化足球职业联赛“假赌黑”问题专项整治_国家体育总局, sport.gov.cn
