The ongoing anti-corruption campaign in Chinese football continues to advance, with several individuals involved in related cases already receiving sentences. On Wednesday, July 30th, the Tongshan County Court in Hubei Province delivered its first-instance judgment in the bribery case against Liu Jun, former chairman of the Chinese Super League Company Limited.
The court found Liu Jun guilty of accepting bribes, sentencing him to 10 years in prison and a fine of RMB600,000 ($82,400). Additionally, for the offense of accepting bribes as a non-state functionary, he was sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of RMB500,000 ($68,700). Combining both offenses, the final sentence is 11 years in prison, with a total fine of RMB1.1 million ($151,000). All illegal gains and their proceeds will be confiscated.
Liu Jun, 49, previously served as general manager of Jiangsu Sainty. In 2016, as Vice President of Suning Sports, he became CEO of Inter Milan, marking him as the first Chinese executive to lead a top European football club. He joined the Chinese Football Association (CFA) in 2018 and became chairman of the CSL Company in 2020. On August 28th, 2023, he was taken away for investigation by relevant authorities. Two days later, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission announced he was under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.
Former CFA Discipline Committee Director Wang Xiaoping also sentenced
On the same day, the Songzi City Court in Hubei Province announced the verdict in the case of Wang Xiaoping, former director of the Chinese Football Association’s Disciplinary Committee. Wang Xiaoping, 65, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison and fined RMB700,000 ($96,100) for bribery. Wang Xiaoping served as director of the CFA Disciplinary Committee from 2009, earning the nickname “fine king” among fans due to his frequent issuance of penalties. He came under investigation for suspected serious violations in March 2023.
