Drastic sanctions in China
Corruption: Ex-national coach banned for life
01/29/2026 – 1:34 p.mReading time: 1 min.
China’s football association is taking drastic measures against corruption. A former national coach and 72 other people are banned for life.
China’s football association has banned ex-national coach Li Tie, former association president Chen Xuyuan and 71 other people from participating in the sport for life.
The decision was announced after a meeting of authorities to combat match-fixing and gambling. The association simply cited “inadmissible transactions” as its justification, without providing any further details.
Around a month before the start of the new season, 13 clubs in the Chinese league are also affected by the association’s sanctions. These include the capital club Beijing Guoan as well as Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Shanghai Shenhua.
The penalties include point deductions for the 2026 season and fines of between 200,000 and one million yuan (around 24,000 to 120,000 euros). Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Shanghai Shenhua are hit the hardest by the measures. They must start the new season with ten minus points each.
China is aspiring to become a soccer nation but has been rocked by repeated bribery and match-fixing scandals. At the end of 2024, Li Tie, who also played as a professional for Everton FC, received a 20-year prison sentence for corruption. Former association president Chen Xuyuan was sentenced to life in prison in March of the same year. The reason: accepting bribes.
