The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced on Tuesday that 43 individuals have been banned for life from participating in football-related activities for gambling and match-fixing.
Among those banned for life are former Chinese internationals Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu, and Gu Chao, as well as South Korean player Son Jun-ho.
At a press conference held in Dalian on Tuesday, Zhang Xiaopeng, a senior official from China’s Ministry of Public Security, revealed details of a two-year investigation that uncovered a series of online gambling, match-fixing, and bribery cases. The investigation implicated 120 matches, 128 criminal suspects, and 41 football clubs.
“The Ministry of Public Security reported the details of the first batch of 61 people involved in the cases to the General Administration of Sport of China and the CFA,” Zhang said. He added that 44 individuals face criminal penalties for bribery, gambling, and the illegal opening of casinos, while 17 others were found to have engaged in bribery and match-fixing and will be punished with according to regulations.
Based on findings by the judicial authorities and in accordance with CFA regulations, CFA president Song Kai confirmed that 43 of the 44 facing criminal penalties have been banned for life from football-related activities, and 17 others have received five-year bans.
Former Hangzhou Greentown player Shen Liuxi was not in the life-time ban list this time as he had already been handed a life ban in 2013. He was found guilty of opening illegal casinos in the current investigation.
“The CFA has reported his case once again, and we urge the entire football industry to strictly enforce the ban,” Song said.
The life ban list includes 38 professional players and five club officials, while the five-year ban list consists of 15 players and two club officials.
In addition to Son Jun-ho, another international player, Ewolo Donovan from Cameroon, who formerly played for Heilongjiang Ice City, has been given a five-year ban.
“According to the facts found by the judicial authorities, Son Jun-ho, a former player of Shandong Taishan FC, participated in illegal transactions, manipulated football matches, and obtained illegal gains to seek unlawful benefits. His actions seriously violated sports ethics and sportsmanship, causing significant negative social impact,” the CFA notice read.
“The CFA will report the relevant information to international organizations to determine if further actions will be taken,” Song added.