BEIJING:  , Chinese football on Tuesday ( Sep 10 ) banned 43 people for life over alleged gambling and match-fixing, including three former China internationals and South Korean player Son Jun-ho, state news agency Xinhua said.
Beijing has in recent years deepened a crackdown on corruption in Chinese activities, mainly sports, and imprisoned many top leaders.
The 43 were among 128 individuals implicated in full in a two-year spacecraft into illegal playing and match-fixing in the local activity, China’s public safety department said.
The announcement came just before a household match between China and Saudi Arabia for the 2026 World Cup.
Son, who played for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League, was charged by the Chinese Football Association ( CFA ) of taking bribes and participating in match-fixing.
After being held in China since May 2023, the global midfielder made a return to South Korea in March this year.
Past Chinese global Jin Jingdao, who likewise played for Shandong Taishan, is also listed as a career restrictions.
China’s sports governing body has itself been under investigation; thus far, about 10 senior CFA officials have been the subject of corruption investigations.
Chen Xuyuan, the original CFA chairman, was given a life prison sentence by the government in March for accepting what it called “particularly big” bribes.
In August, a Chinese judge gave 11 times of prison time to Li Yuyi, a former vice president of the Chinese Football Association, even for taking bribes.