11 Years Prison: Chinese Football Hits New Low As Former Vice-President Sentenced For Accepting Bribes
NDTV
In March, Li pleaded guilty to using his positions in the CFA to accumulate money and gifts worth over $1.7 million between 2004 and 2021.
A Chinese court on Monday sentenced a former top official of the country's football association to 11 years in prison for taking bribes, the latest figure to fall foul of a sweeping crackdown on graft in sports. Li Yuyi, a former vice president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), was sentenced by a court in Jingzhou, Hubei province. He was also fined $140,000, while assets he obtained through corruption would be confiscated and turned over to the state, the court said.
In March, Li pleaded guilty to using his positions in the CFA to accumulate money and gifts worth over $1.7 million between 2004 and 2021.
Li served as vice president of the CFA from 2015 to 2019. Before that, he was head of Shanghai's sports administration.
Under President Xi Jinping, authorities have cracked down hard on graft in China's sports industry, especially in football.
Xi is a self-confessed football fanatic who has said he dreams of his country hosting and winning the World Cup.
