China Cracks Down on Soccer Teams Due to Match-Fixing

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has cracked down on instances of match-fixing in an attempt to safeguard the sport’s integrity and prevent fraud. As a result, the association’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee issued a variety of point and monetary penalties to several teams.

CFA Disciplines 13 Soccer Teams

In its latest disciplinary wave, the CFA slammed a total of 13 soccer teams with point cuts due to instances of match-fixing. The BBC reported that last year’s runner-up, the Shanghai Shenhua, and the Tianjin Tigers got the worst of it in terms of point deductions and will kick off the next soccer season at -10.

As a result of the regulatory intervention, four teams have been demoted to China League One, the report states.

The BBC added that the 13 penalized teams were also required to pay fines ranging from $29K to $142K (converted to USD).

The CFA Reiterates Zero-Tolerance Approach to Fraud

CFA officials confirmed that the penalties were а result of match-fixing, which hurts the soccer sector and undermines fair competition. According to the BBC, the fixed games were motivated by gambling gain.

In a statement, the CFA also confirmed that the severity of the penalties reflects the severity of the violations committed by each of the soccer clubs in question. The association reiterated a zero-tolerance approach to soccer-related corruption and fraud.

The latest regulatory action comes in the wake of a previous intervention that saw 43 soccer athletes and officials banned for life due to their participation in fraud, such as match-fixing and bribery.