The FA’s crackdown in China is punishing clubs with points deductions and fines for match-fixing and corruption

January 30 – Nine clubs will start the new Chinese Super League (CSL) season with points deducted after the latest round of sanctions stemming from investigations into match-fixing, gambling and corruption.

This is a major blow to a domestic industry that has spent nearly a decade battling credibility issues.

Shanghai Shenhua, last season’s runners-up, and Tianjin Tigers received the heaviest penalties, each losing 10 points before the ball was even kicked. Four of the punished clubs have been relegated to China’s League One, underlining how deep the disciplinary net has reached. In total, 13 teams were fined amounts ranging from £21,000 to £104,000 (200,000 to one million yuan).

The sanctions follow a thorough investigation into manipulation and illegal betting activities related to professional football. Authorities set out necessary measures to restore order and confidence.

A statement said the punishment was intended: “To enforce industry discipline, purify the football environment and maintain fair competition.”

“The points deductions and financial fines imposed on clubs are based on the number, nature, seriousness and social impact of inappropriate transactions involving each club,” the CFA said, adding that it would maintain a “zero tolerance” policy towards corruption.

Chinese football has repeatedly promised a moment of reset – and repeatedly found itself back in crisis.

This latest punishment follows a crackdown last year in which 43 officials and players received lifetime bans. Among them is former national team coach and ex-Premier League midfielder Li Tie, who was jailed after admitting to match-fixing, taking bribes and offering kickbacks to land a top coaching role. He and 73 others were banned from playing football for life.

The persistence of these cases highlights structural weaknesses caused by fragile club finances, unclear governance, political pressures and volatile investment cycles that create incentives for short-term survival over long-term integrity.

Point deductions and fines can change things. Whether they change the culture is a more difficult question.

2026 Season Points Reduction (Chinese Super League & Related)

• -10 Points: Shanghai Shenhua, Tianjin Jinmen Tiger
• -7 Points: Qingdao Hainiu
• -6 Points: Henan FC, Shandong Taishan
• -5 Points: Shanghai Harbor (defending champion), Zhejiang FC, Beijing Guoan, Wuhan Three Cities
• Relegated Sides: Changchun Yatai (-4) and Meizhou Hakka (-3)

‘Fake gambling’ scandal

Chen and Li were both banned from football for life, after the scandal exposed a network of bribery and match manipulation that was a conduit for organized crime.

A two-year investigation carried out by the Ministry of Public Security and the CFA revealed that at least 120 domestic matches had been fixed, involving 41 clubs from various levels of Chinese football. In total, 128 people were arrested or investigated for gambling, match-fixing and bribery.

In September 2024, the CFA imposed lifetime bans on 43 people. Among the most prominent are Son Jun-ho, a South Korean World Cup player who once featured for Shandong Taishan, and former China internationals Jin Jingdao and Guo Tianyu.

Tie, a former Everton midfielder and former China head coach, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in December 2024 for bribery and match-fixing, while former CFA president Chen Xuyuan received a life sentence after taking more than $11 million in bribes.

The term “fake gambling” describes a system in which matches are not only bet on, but are also pre-arranged. Criminal syndicates use illegal online platforms and “white label” gambling sites to determine outcomes, paying players and referees to call certain scores or in-game events, such as a certain number of corner kicks, to ensure the home side always wins.

These manipulated matches serve as a cover for laundering large amounts of cash through sophisticated cybercrime networks.

Many fans blamed the scandal for China’s setbacks on the international stage, including the national team’s humiliating 7-0 loss to Japan in 2024.

Contact the author of this story at strength.l1769795735Labto1769795735ofdlr1769795735become1769795735sn@r1769795735etc.1769795735w. kci1769795735N1769795735. Additional reporting by strength.l1769795735Labto1769795735ofdlr1769795735become1769795735sn@i1769795735tnuk.1769795735ardni1769795735But1769795735