The President of the Chinese Football Association, Chen Xuyuan, is apparently under suspicion of corruption.
As the association announced in Beijing, the disciplinary commission of the Communist Party and the supervisory bodies of the sports administration had initiated investigations against him for “serious breaches of discipline”.
This accusation is usually used to paraphrase allegations of corruption in China. The one-sentence notice did not specify what Chen Xuyuan was accused of or whether he was arrested. But officials in China are usually taken into custody for such allegations.
If the party’s investigations prove guilt, suspects are turned over to law enforcement, who then issue warrants and bring charges.
Setback for Chinese football
The allegations are another major blow to China’s football. Head of state and party leader Xi Jinping is a fan himself and wants to make the country a great soccer nation. So far, China has only qualified once for a World Cup, and Chinese football is repeatedly confronted with allegations of corruption.
Also against the former Chinese star player Li Tie, who played for British clubs like Everton and Sheffield United and temporarily coached the national team until 2021, investigations were launched last November for “serious breaches of discipline and the law”.