CFA holds an anti-corruption seminar amid deepening anti-graft storm on November 17,2023. Photo: CFA

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) published a notice on Thursday to openly employ football social supervisors nationwide to further strengthen the management of Chinese football industry and improve the transparency of football work, following a series of football corruption cases were exposed to the public in recent years. 

According to the notice, the job responsibilities of supervisors include but are not limited to participating in supervision of activities, soliciting opinion from the public regarding the development of China's football ecosystem, and oversee the football industry practitioners in their compliance with the law.

The CFA also issued measures on Thursday for reporting and dealing with illegal and disciplinary acts, including the violation of sports competition rules or sports ethnic by footballers, coaches, referees and participants, which cause improper changes in the competition process or results.

For whistleblowers who provide valid tipoffs and have been verified, cash rewards ranging from 2,000 yuan ($276) to 20,000 yuan will be offered; for those who provide valuable clues multiple times, special rewards will be given.

People can send reporting clues and evidence by calling the reporting phone, sending emails, or mailing reporting letters, according to the CFA.

The round of anti-corruption drive in soccer started from November 2022. Several football corruption cases of senior CFA officials have been revealed this year.

As previously reported, four high-profile football officials, including former CFA chief Chen Xuyuan and vice chief Yu Hongchen, were sentenced to imprisonment on Tuesday for taking bribes, with their jail terms ranging from eight years to life imprisonment.

Chen accepted bribes surpassing 81 million yuan ($11.23 million). He also exploited his influence to benefit multiple soccer clubs and regional soccer associations, and sought personal gains by facilitating promotions and adjustments for others. 

Additionally, Yu was sentenced to 13 years in prison for bribery by the Huangshi Intermediate People's Court. Yu's ill-gotten gains had surpassed 22.54 million yuan ($3.12 million).

According to reports, a four-episode documentary on corruption in Chinese football aired by China Central Television (CCTV) in January shocked many football fans. It recorded the largest anti-corruption campaign in the history of Chinese soccer.

Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese men's national football team, Chen, and Du Zhaocai, former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport publicly repented in front of the camera during the documentary. Du, in particular, holds the highest-ranking position among all officials arrested in previous soccer-related anti-corruption operations.

According to the CCTV report, the bribery case of Li will be openly heard on Thursday in a court in Central China's Hubei Province.

Global Times