South Korean international Son Jun-Ho was among 43 people banned for life for involvement in match-fixing and gambling in Chinese football. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Dozens banned

A total of 43 people have received lifetime bans from soccer by Chinese authorities over alleged match-fixing and gambling.

43 of 128 people implicated in the inquiry were banned from the sport

State news agency Xinhua said that after a two-year probe, 43 of 128 people implicated in the inquiry were banned from the sport, including South Korean midfielder Son Jun-Ho and three Chinese international players.

So far, FIFA and the other national governing bodies have not commented on whether or not the bans will apply outside of China.

High-profile players named

Son, who formerly played for Shandong Taishan, has now returned to South Korea after being detained in China since May 2023 over suspected match-fixing involving his former coach Hao Wei. His former Shandong teammate and Chinese international Jin Jingdao also received a ban.

Chinese legend Wang Song, who holds the record for the most appearances in China’s top flight, as well as Cameroonian Donovan Ewolo, were among 17 others who were issued with lesser, five-year bans from the sport.

Wang had previously played for the now-defunct Chengdu Blades, who prior to being wound up were relegated from the Chinese Super League after being found to have paid a rival 500,000 yuan ($70,226) to lose a game during a battle for promotion.

In total, 41 soccer clubs were implicated, with the worst culprits being Qingdao Red Lions and Nanjing City, which both saw seven of their players issued with lifetime bans. Of the individuals investigated, 34 have also been handed prison sentences.

China cracks down

The bans come as part of an ongoing crackdown to ensure sporting integrity in China, with several investigations taking place in recent years.

since 2022, 128 suspected criminals have been arrested

According to a statement by the General Sports Administration of China, since 2022, 128 suspected criminals have been arrested, 12 online gambling rings were taken down, and 120 suspicious matches have been identified.

“The public security agency has strictly investigated and dealt with the situation of illegal crimes such as gambling and match-fixing in the field of football,” the statement said.

“Since 2022, the Ministry of Public Security assigned the public security agency in Liaoning and other places to crack down on gambling, match-fixing and the overall plan to combat online gambling.”

Even the Chinese FA itself has not escaped the investigations, with several officials facing harsh punishments for involvement in bribery and match-fixing scandals. In March, former Chairman of the CFA Chen Xuyuan was imprisoned for life for accepting more than 77m yuan ($10.6m) in bribes.