In a statement, the Chinese Football Association said the bans include former national team head coach Li Tie and follow a “systematic review” of violations within the sport, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
The association said the measures were necessary “to enforce industry discipline, purify the football environment, and maintain fair competition.”
The announcement did not specify when the newly identified cases of match-fixing occurred or detail how the schemes operated.
The latest punishments come amid a broader anti-corruption campaign under President Xi Jinping, which in recent years has exposed widespread problems in Chinese professional football. Several senior officials within the CFA have been brought down, while dozens of players have previously been banned for match-fixing and gambling.
Li Tie, a former Everton player who served as China’s national team head coach from 2019 to 2021, is already serving a 20-year prison sentence for bribery following his conviction in December 2024. Under Thursday’s decision, he has now been banned from all football-related activities for life, alongside 72 other individuals.
Also among those punished is Chen Xuyuan, the former chairman of the CFA, who is serving a life sentence after being convicted of accepting bribes totaling $11 million.
Sanctions were also imposed on top-flight clubs. Of the 16 teams that competed in the 2025 season of the Chinese Super League (CSL), 11 will have points deducted and face financial penalties. As a result, when the 2026 CSL season begins in March, nine clubs will start the campaign with negative points totals.
Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and last season’s runners-up Shanghai Shenhua received the harshest penalties, each facing a 10-point deduction and fines of one million yuan ($144,000). Shanghai Port, champions for the past three seasons, will be docked five points and fined 400,000 yuan, the same punishment handed to Beijing Guoan.
The CFA said the sanctions relate to “match-fixing, gambling, and bribery,” adding that penalties were determined based on “the amount, circumstances, nature, and social impact of the improper transactions involved.” It did not provide further details on individual cases.
“We will always maintain a zero-tolerance deterrent and high-pressure punitive force,” the CFA said, pledging to investigate and punish any violations of football regulations “without any leniency or tolerance.”
The crackdown comes as many Chinese professional clubs struggle financially. Guangzhou FC, the most successful team in CSL history, folded in 2025 after failing to settle its debts ahead of the new season.
Xi, a longtime football fan, has previously said he dreams of China hosting and winning the World Cup one day. However, the national team failed to qualify for this summer’s World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
