Corruption ‘wrecking Chinese league’

A leading Chinese soccer club manager said yesterday that the country’s professional league was facing collapse because of rampant corruption and match-fixing.

Yang Zuwu, general manager of premier league side Beijing Hyundai, said that “faked matches, black whistles (corrupt referees), betting on games and other ugly phenomena” were increasing, the Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday. “Some clubs, some players, even some coaches, referees and other related people are involved in gambling on matches and other things,” Yang was quoted as saying.Yang made headlines on Saturday when he ordered his players off the pitch in the 84th minute against Shenyang Jinde in protest over a referee’s decision, Xinhua said.The match was tied 1-1 at the time but the referee then awarded Shenyang a 3-0 win.It was the first such incident in professional football in China.In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) on Monday, Yang said he made the decision “after considering the overall situation and the political angles.””We may have lost three points, but that’s better than something serious happening,” he said, without further explanation.Yang noted that over 1 billion yuan ($120 million) had been invested in China’s professional soccer league since it was established more than a decade ago.”Considering the results, the injection of so much money has not been worthwhile,” he told CCTV.Yang and Beijing Hyundai face censure from the China Football Association (CFA) for the walk-off.”This is a serious violation of discipline,” Lang Xiaonong, a CFA official, said on CCTV.The association, which has been accused in the media of failing to regulate the league, issued a circular on September 30 declaring that any violation of league rules during China’s National Day holiday, from Oct 1 to 8, would be punished with extra severity, CCTV reported.- Supersoccer”Some clubs, some players, even some coaches, referees and other related people are involved in gambling on matches and other things,” Yang was quoted as saying.Yang made headlines on Saturday when he ordered his players off the pitch in the 84th minute against Shenyang Jinde in protest over a referee’s decision, Xinhua said.The match was tied 1-1 at the time but the referee then awarded Shenyang a 3-0 win.It was the first such incident in professional football in China.In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) on Monday, Yang said he made the decision “after considering the overall situation and the political angles.””We may have lost three points, but that’s better than something serious happening,” he said, without further explanation.Yang noted that over 1 billion yuan ($120 million) had been invested in China’s professional soccer league since it was established more than a decade ago.”Considering the results, the injection of so much money has not been worthwhile,” he told CCTV.Yang and Beijing Hyundai face censure from the China Football Association (CFA) for the walk-off.”This is a serious violation of discipline,” Lang Xiaonong, a CFA official, said on CCTV.The association, which has been accused in the media of failing to regulate the league, issued a circular on September 30 declaring that any violation of league rules during China’s National Day holiday, from Oct 1 to 8, would be punished with extra severity, CCTV reported.- Supersoccer