Docuseries tackles corruption in soccer

The final episode of an anti-corruption documentary series, which aired on China Central Television on Tuesday, garnered widespread interest as it bared the dark underbelly of Chinese soccer, exposing rampant abuse of power and instances of match-fixing and bribery involving several senior soccer officials.

The episode started with details of the investigation launched in November 2022 against Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese men's national team. The probe turned out to be the tip of the iceberg and exposed systemic corruption in Chinese soccer, the episode showed.

More than a dozen high-ranking and mid-level officials of the Chinese Football Association came under scrutiny following the investigation against Li. Another dozen individuals, including coaches, players, referees, club executives and agents, were also investigated.

Li, who retired as a player in 2012, transitioned to coaching and joined the Hebei China Fortune Football Club in August 2015, when the team had less-optimistic prospects of making it to the Chinese Super League. The club suggested that Li use his connections to buy off opponents.

"Certain practices that were commonplace within the football circle were, in fact, illegal," Li, 46, said on camera in the episode.

Li, who played for the Everton Football Club in the English Premier League between 2002 and 2006, said that during his time as a player, he "detested those who engaged in match-fixing".

However, when he became an independent head coach for the first time, he developed a desire to prove himself. "I knew that my actions might help increase our team's chances," he said.

Li's appointment as head coach of the men's national team was attributed to his success in guiding two China League One teams to the Chinese Super League. Match-fixing was later determined to have been behind both these achievements.

After Li joined the Hebei soccer club, it pulled off eight consecutive victories in the last eight matches of the season, leading to its successful promotion with a one-point advantage over its competitors.

This winning streak was fueled by bribery.

Speaking on camera, Meng Jing, former chairman of the Hebei club, said: "For the last match, we spent roughly 14 million yuan ($1.96 million). We bribed the Shenzhen club, its coach and players in advance."

Having tasted success through match-fixing, Li continued to promote the practice when he joined Wuhan Zall Football Club as its coach in 2017. Under his instructions, the club spared no expense to be promoted, and in October 2018, it successfully secured a spot in the super league, three rounds ahead of schedule.

One major reason for the rampant growth of corruption in Chinese soccer was the failure of the CFA, which should have taken on a supervisory role, the episode showed. Over the years, several officials within the organization turned to corruption, using their authority to help clubs gain unfair advantages.

Chen Xuyuan, former president of the CFA, admitted on camera that corruption in Chinese soccer was pervasive, and that he accepted money from clubs. Had he cracked down on such irregularities, he would have also come under scrutiny, so he allowed them to continue unchecked, he said.

Chen accepted primary responsibility for such behavior and extended a deep apology to football fans nationwide. "While fans may tolerate the backwardness of Chinese football, they cannot forgive corruption," he said.

Du Zhaocai, former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport and former Party chief of the CFA, similarly abused his position for personal gains, accepting over 40 million yuan in cash and gifts to turn a blind eye to the irregularities.

"I failed to play the role of gatekeeper in the anti-corruption campaign involving Chinese soccer. ... I didn't impose strict control and, in some cases, went along with the corruption," he said.

In 2015, the General Office of the State Council announced a plan for the reform and development of Chinese soccer, emphasizing the combination of long-term focus and a solid foundation.

Du and Chen said they both felt that the reform was difficult to implement and slow to take effect.

"After reviewing the plan ... I felt that during my tenure, many things couldn't be implemented," Chen said, adding that he wanted to prove his abilities by ensuring that the national team qualified for the FIFA World Cup.

In August 2019, Li also saw an opportunity to prove himself, as a national team was being put together for the East Asian Cup.

"I really wanted to become the head coach of the national team," he said. "I tried various methods. I lobbied many people, contacted CFA leaders, and sought their support and recommendations."

Li persuaded the Wuhan Zall Football Club to fund his efforts to win the national team coaching job, promising to help the club in return later. The club gave him 2 million yuan, which he then used to bribe Chen, the former CFA president. He also gave 1 million yuan to Liu Yi, former secretary-general of the CFA, to win his support.

Li's unscrupulous methods paid off. He became head coach of the Chinese men's national team in 2020, after Marcello Lippi, former Italian player and coach, stepped down from that position.

The day after his appointment as national head coach was confirmed, Li pledged to sign four of the Wuhan Zall Football Club's players to the national team in exchange for 60 million yuan. The club agreed and created a fake contract to disguise the transaction.

"I deeply regret it," Li said, adding that it is essential to be honest and upright, follow the right path and avoid taking shortcuts to success.

Last year, procuratorates initiated court proceedings against Li and Chen, and approved Du's arrest. All the cases are sub judice.

The four-part docuseries, aired from Saturday through Tuesday, topped the ratings chart, particularly because the final episode kept soccer fans riveted to their seats.

Yang Shuo, a senior college student in Beijing who loves playing soccer, said the investigation of corrupt officials was a cause for celebration.

"The entire country's passion for soccer was dampened by these corrupt individuals. I think anti-corruption efforts should be intensified and sustained," he added.

yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn