March 24 – China’s scandal-plagued federation has been rocked by new corruption probes into its chiefs of discipline and competition.
The sports ministry said that Wang Xiaoping, director of the FA’s Disciplinary Committee, and Huang Song, were both “suspected of serious violations” of law and discipline — the government’s usual bywords for corruption.
The announcements said Wang and Huang were cooperating with investigators but gave no details about the charges against them.
The news comes barely a month after the head of China’s FA Chen Xuyuan was arrested on corruption charges while one of China’s most decorated past footballers, former Everton and Sheffield United midfielder Li Tie, is currently in jail.
China’s president Xi Jimping has been at pains to turn China into a global footballing superpower but the men’s national team, which has qualified for only one World Cup in two decades, shows few sign of improvement while the domestic league has lurched from one crisis to another both on and off the field despite eye-watering salaries being paid to attract foreign talent.
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