CHINA Beijing uses “corruption” to punish sports leaders

Football, athletics, canoeing or winter sports, many officials from different disciplines have been sentenced. Today the latest cases were known: the former coach of the men’s national soccer team, Li Tie, 47, will have to serve 20 years in prison; Former Sports Chief Gou Zhongwen was expelled from the party and is awaiting trial. In March, Yu Hongchen, former president of the Athletics Federation, was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Swimming has been immune, despite strong suspicions of doping.

Beijing () – The cases of recent days concern the former coach of the Chinese men’s national football team, sentenced to 20 years in prison, and the former head of Sports, expelled from the Party and relieved of all public office, accused both of “corruption”. But these are not isolated events, but are part of the purges promoted by President Xi Jinping in various sectors of public life – political, military and social – of the country, to repress internal dissent or – more simply – eliminate uncomfortable voices. .

From football to athletics, winter sports and rowing, many leaders from different disciplines were first purged and then put on trial and sentenced to long prison terms. In the past, big names in sports have been victims of the anti-corruption campaign, such as Li Yaguang, former vice president of the Chinese Basketball Association; Liu Aijie, former president of the Chinese Rowing Association and vice president of the International Canoe Federation and Yu Hongchen, president of the Chinese Athletics Association.

Coming back to the latest news, Xinhua reports that today concluded the lengthy criminal trial against 47-year-old Li Tie (pictured), former coach of the men’s national soccer team, who had “pleaded” guilty in early 2024, in the early stages of the trial. Accused of corruption, he would have admitted to having accepted more than 10 million dollars in bribes. From January 2020 to December 2021 he had been coach of the Chinese team, taking the place left vacant by the former coach of the Italian team – and world champion in 2006 – Marcello Lippi. Li Tie himself has been a fairly good player and was one of his best-known compatriots abroad, because he had participated in the English Premier League for Everton and Sheffield Wednesday, in addition to having played around one hundred games for the national team. of his country.

Today also broke the news of the expulsion from the Party and from all public positions, for disciplinary reasons, of the former head of the General Administration of Sports Gou Zhongwen. According to the Global Timeswas found guilty of “corruption, abuse of power and negligence” based on investigations carried out by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission (NSC). Gou, former deputy director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Section of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has been accused of “damaging the ecosystem” in the sports field.

Unauthorized trips, dinners, parties and bribery are some of the crimes charged, along with illicit expenses, false information during investigations and abuse of his position to manipulate the selection and appointment of officials for his own benefit. Subsequent investigations revealed that Gou used his authority to help his relatives in business, provide sexual favors, and mishandle confidential documents related to sports projects or acquisitions. In addition to the confiscation of his “illicit” profits and his expulsion from the party, he will have to face a criminal process that will almost certainly end with a very harsh sentence.

Beijing authorities have begun attacking the world of sport with investigations, expulsions, trials and convictions since the end of 2022. However, at least until now, there have been no proceedings in disciplines where there are strong suspicions of doping, such as swimming, but they are essential to enrich the medal table in international competitions. Last March, a court in the central province of Hubei sentenced former president of the Chinese Athletics Federation Yu Hongchen, who is also on trial for corruption and bribery, to 13 years in prison and a fine of more than $280,000.

The judges determined that between 2010 and 2023 Yu took advantage of his various positions related to the Chinese football and athletics sectors to try to obtain benefits for third parties in matters such as business management, championship promotion and labor competition. In particular, Yu attempted to obtain illicit advantages for several football clubs in championship qualifications, the organization of sporting events, refereeing decisions and player transfers. In exchange, he allegedly accepted money and objects worth a total of more than 22.54 million yuan (almost three million euros).

In recent weeks, new sentences have been added, starting with Liu Yi, general secretary of the Chinese Football Association (AFC), who will have to serve 11 years in prison and pay a fine of 3.6 million yuan (473 thousand euros) for accepting bribes. On the same day, the former head of the CFA Referee Management Section, Tan Hai, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison and a fine of 200,000 yuan for the same offense. Before them was the turn of Qi Jun, former head of strategic planning at the CFA, who was sentenced to seven years in prison and a fine of 600,000 yuan.

And in March, former CFA boss Chen Xuyuan was jailed for life for accepting bribes, showing that the purges have hit hardest in the world of football, of which Xi Jinping himself is a passionate supporter. The president would like to host – and win – a major international tournament but, at least so far, the national team – and club teams – have not achieved exciting results. At the country level, the dragon is ranked 90th in the FIFA ranking, one place above the small Caribbean island of Curacao. This is also likely one of the reasons for the purges.