The Chinese Football Federation woke up convulsed this Wednesday with the news of the arrest of Chen Xuyuan, the president of the highest body that regulates football in the country. The president was already being investigated by national sports organizations and those of Hubei province. on corruption charges.
In a brief statement published by the Commission for Inspection and Supervision of Discipline, the anti-corruption body of the Communist Party, they indicate that Chen is under investigation by national authorities for “being suspected of serious violations of the law.” Although no further details of the accusation against him were given.
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Chen has led the Chinese Football Federation since August 2019, the date on which he was elected to his position, and he is also vice president of the party committee in the organization.
Chen Xuyuan.The opening of the investigation against Chen began only four months after the investigations began against the former coach of the men’s soccer team, Li Tie, one of the greatest legends of the sport in this country for his successes as a player.
The former Secretary General of the Association, Liu Yi, and the former head of the national team management department, Chen Yongliang, also went through this vetting process. by anti-corruption forces.
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In recent months, the Federation had promised firm against match-fixing, fraud and doping, described by the deputy director of the Sports Administration of China, Du Zhaocai, as the “three tumors” that endanger the development of the beautiful sport in the Asian country.
“There is still a long way to go in the eradication of unhealthy practices in the world of football such as betting and in the training of officials”, recently warned the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Commission.
Chen Xuyuan.The team, the target of harsh criticism from Chinese fans, failed to qualify for the last World Cup, as usual since 2002, although on that occasion they did not have to face the local powers, South Korea and Japan.
For its part, the Chinese Super League saw its crisis aggravated by the pandemic, but it had already been brewing for some years due, in part, to the fact that Chinese authorities curbed the rampant spending that for some seasons swept through the country’s top teams, many of them lately involved in economic problems
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