Chinese football yesterday banned 43 people for life over alleged gambling and match-fixing.
Three former China internationals and South Korean World Cup player Son Jun Ho were among those handed lifetime bans, state media said.
The banned 43 were mostly players and among 128 people implicated in total in a two-year probe into illegal gambling and match-fixing in the domestic game, the public security ministry said.
The news came hours before a home 2026 World Cup qualifier between China and Saudi Arabia, and within a week of the national team suffering a humiliating 7-0 defeat to rivals Japan.
The Chinese Football Association accused Son, who played for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League, of participating in match-fixing and taking bribes.
The international midfielder, who appeared in three of South Korea's four matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, returned home in March after being held in China since May 2023. Beijing said at the time that he was detained "on suspicion of accepting bribes by non-state employees," without providing details.
Also on the list of people handed lifetime bans is former China midfielder Jin Jingdao, who also played for Shandong Taishan.
China's football governing body has itself been under scrutiny. About 10 high-ranking officials have so far been brought down in corruption probes.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Son Jun Ho in action against Portugal at the 2022 World Cup. AFP
Jin Jingdao played for China. AFP
