Zona de Azar China – Chinese Football Federation Bans 38 Players and 5 Referees

China.- September 13, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The CFA, Chinese Football Federation, has permanently banned 38 players and 5 referees from the sport for their involvement in a match-fixing scheme in Chinese football. The investigations have been ongoing for over two years, involving betting and match-fixing, and only now have those involved been penalized.

According to the investigation, 120 matches were fixed, and 41 clubs and 128 people are involved in the criminal scheme. Zhang Xiaopeng, an official from the Ministry of Public Security, provided the number of suspects involved but did not specify which matches were manipulated.

Among those involved are three players who have represented China’s National Team: Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu, and Gu Chao, as well as South Korean Son Jun-ho, who played in the last World Cup in Qatar. All have been permanently banned from football. South Korean Son Jun-ho was even imprisoned in China for 10 months but managed to return to his country, where he was playing for Suwon FC in South Korea.

Chinese authorities report that 44 people have been convicted of bribery, betting, and operating illegal casinos, with only one being banned from the sport. Another 17 individuals were found to be involved in bribery and match-fixing and have been banned from football for five years.

South Korean Defends Himself and Claims to Be a Victim

On Wednesday, September 11, South Korean Son Jun-ho stated in a press conference that “the police said I could be released within one or two weeks if I admitted to the bribery accusations.” He also claimed that he was forced to lie about accepting bribes and that the police even threatened to arrest his wife.

“I wanted to tell the truth. I’m not a criminal. I’m a victim here. I thought that if I stayed quiet, people would see me as a criminal,” Son said.

With the football ban, all those involved are prohibited from participating in the sport anywhere in the world, as the ban has been extended globally by FIFA. Therefore, all those banned will no longer be able to participate in the sport.

Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com