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China’s football authorities have handed lifetime bans to 73 people, including former national team head coach Li Tie, and sanctioned 13 professional clubs for match-fixing and corruption, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) said on Thursday.
The CFA said the punishments followed a “systematic review” and were imposed to “enforce industry discipline, purify the football environment, and maintain fair competition.”
The statement did not specify when the offences occurred or provide details on how the match-fixing schemes operated.
The sanctions come during a massive anti-corruption drive in Chinese football under President Xi Jinping, which has led to the downfall of several senior officials and the banning of dozens of players for gambling and match-fixing.
Li, who coached China’s national team from 2019 to 2021 and previously played for Everton, is already serving a 20-year prison sentence for bribery after being convicted in December 2024.
CFA said he is now banned for life from all football-related activities.
Also among those banned is Chen Xuyuan, the former CFA chairman, who is serving a life sentence for accepting bribes worth about $11 million.
At club level, the CFA said 13 teams would be punished for offences linked to “match-fixing, gambling, and bribery.”
Of the 16 clubs that competed in the 2025 Chinese Super League (CSL), 11 will have points deducted and be fined.
As a result, when the 2026 CSL season begins in March, nine clubs will start the campaign with negative points totals.
Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and last season’s runners-up, Shanghai Shenhua, received the heaviest penalties, each docked 10 points and fined 1 million yuan ($144,000).
Shanghai Port, champions for the past three seasons, were handed a five-point deduction and fined 400,000 yuan, the same sanction imposed on Beijing Guoan.
CFA said the punishments were determined based on “the amount, circumstances, nature, and social impact of the improper transactions involved” but did not provide club-specific details.
“We will always maintain a zero-tolerance deterrent and high-pressure punitive force, and investigate and deal with any violation of discipline or regulations in football as soon as they are discovered, without any leniency or tolerance,” the association said.
The sanctions come as many Chinese professional clubs face financial difficulties. Guangzhou FC, the most successful club in CSL history, folded in 2025 after failing to settle outstanding debts before the new season.
As a football enthusiast, President Xi has said he hopes for China to host and win the World Cup in the future. China failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament, which will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
