Beijing, 4 Apr (Zhongxin Net) -- Du Zhaocai, member of the leading party group and deputy director of the State General Administration of Sports, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and is currently undergoing disciplinary review and supervision and investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission. ”

The April 4 bulletin is not "April Fool's Day" news, but a true demonstration of the continuous progress of the anti-corruption process in football.

On November 11 last year, Li Tie, the former manager of the national football team, reported that he was investigated, thus "pulling out the radish and bringing out the mud".

Since Li Tie, in just 126 days, 9 people in the football field have been reported to be investigated. Include:

Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese men's national team

Liu Yi, executive member of the Chinese Football Association and former secretary general

Chen Yongliang, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Football Association and Director of the National Team Management Department

Chen Jiayuan, President of the Chinese Football Association

Wang Xiaoping, director of the Disciplinary Committee of the Chinese Football Association

Huang Song, Director of the Competition Department of the Chinese Football Association

Yu Hongchen, former vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association

Dong Zheng, former general manager of China Super Corporation

Du Zhaocai, member of the leading party group and deputy director of the State General Administration of Sports

Du Zhaocai (left) and Chen Jiayuan. Image source: Osports All Sports Images

There is something in the wind

Going back further, in fact, since August 2022, Chinese football has been "mountain rain coming".

On August 8, in the final of men's group B A (U7) of the football event of the 2022th Guangdong Provincial Games in 15, the Qingyuan team was reversed by the Guangzhou team 3:1 with a 5:3 lead, and the performance of the athletes of both sides on the field was widely questioned by public opinion. Later, the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision set up an investigation team to investigate the incident.

More than three months later, the investigation team of the Guangdong Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision issued a circular giving Wang Yuping, secretary of the leading party group and director of the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau, a serious warning within the party, dismissal and other punishments to 3 party-member leading cadres.

In response to Xie Zhiguang, chairman of the Guangzhou Football Association, Wang Yajun, president of Evergrande Football School, and others for manipulating the game, the Chinese Football Association imposed an industry penalty of "banning" for life.

Also in August 2022, Wang Dengfeng, director of the Department of Physical Health and Art Education of the Ministry of Education, was suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and was subject to disciplinary review by the discipline inspection and supervision team of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission stationed in the Ministry of Education and supervision and investigation by the Shandong Provincial Supervision Commission.

Just yesterday, Wang Dengfeng, who was once the vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association, was notified of "double opening".

Whether there is a direct connection between these incidents and Du Zhaocai, Chen Jiayuan and others who were subsequently investigated is not yet known. However, even the field of youth football has frequent chaos, which shows the unhealthy atmosphere in the field of football, and also unveils the black corner of Chinese football.

Data map: Wang Dengfeng, Director of the Department of Physical Health and Art Education of the Ministry of Education. Photo by Yang Kejia, reporter of China News Agency

The curtain on the anti-corruption in football has begun

After the match-fixing scandal at the Guangdong Provincial Games last August, the Chinese Football Association held a national football industry psiphon discipline and anti-doping work conference.

At that time, Chen Jiayuan, chairman of the Chinese Football Association, said that the current Psiphon discipline problem in the football industry has seriously eroded the healthy development of Chinese football, seriously endangered the image of Chinese football, and seriously distorted the moral values that football should have.

"We must resolutely take action, with the determination of strong men and solid work measures, resolutely kill all kinds of bad habits in the football industry, and give Chinese football a clean and good environment."

Three months later, an anti-corruption storm swept through Chinese football.

Data map: Li Tie, former manager of the national football team

Li Tie was investigated

Former manager of the national football team

On November 11 last year, the news that Li Tie, the former manager of the national football team, was investigated, quickly flooded the Internet.

In fact, as early as before the start of the Qatar World Cup, there were rumors that Li Tie "lost contact" in the professional-level coach training course. The reporter once called the participants about this, but after being told that "I don't know" and "don't ask me", the other party hurriedly hung up the phone.

Ironically, the World Cup was in full swing, and the national football team's group rivals Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia in the World Preliminary Round of 12 stage were all creating surprises.

Data map: Liu Yi (second from right) Image source: IC photo

Liu Yi and Chen Yongliang were investigated

Former Secretary-General/Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Football Association

On January 1, on the eve of this year's Spring Festival, Liu Yi, executive member and former secretary general of the Chinese Football Association, and Chen Yongliang, executive deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Football Association and director of the national team management department, were investigated one after another.

During his tenure as Secretary General of the Chinese Football Association, Liu Yi was responsible for promoting the establishment of professional leagues and league-related work. However, to this day, the professional league has not been established.

Data map: Chen Yongliang Image source: IC photo

Chen Yongliang has worked for the Chinese Football Association for many years. He also appeared in the last anti-gambling sweep in Chinese football.

Public reports show that Chen Yongliang had close contact with Li Dongsheng, who was in charge of referee work at that time. The latter was sentenced to 9 years in prison for bribery and embezzlement, becoming one of the football association officials imprisoned in the anti-gambling and anti-gambling storm in football at that time.

Chen Yongliang, who is also the minister of the Ministry of State Management, is mainly responsible for the work related to the national team, so he has a close relationship with Li Tie and Chen Jiayuan.

Data map: Chen Jiayuan Image source: Chinese Football Association

Chen Jiayuan was investigated

President of the Chinese Football Association

After Liu Yi and Chen Yongliang were investigated, the Party Committee of the Chinese Football Association held an enlarged meeting as soon as possible, and Du Zhaocai, then deputy director of the General Administration of Sports and secretary of the Party Committee of the Chinese Football Association, Chen Jiayuan, then president of the Chinese Football Association, and other participants spoke one by one. Everyone unanimously expressed that the Chinese Football Association firmly supports and resolutely supports the investigation of Liu Yi and Chen Yongliang by discipline inspection and supervision organs.

But just 26 days later, on February 2, the news of Chen Jiayuan's investigation was also reported.

The next day, the Chinese Football Association held another enlarged meeting, and Du Zhaocai presided over the meeting, emphasizing that the Party Committee of the Chinese Football Association and the Chinese Football Association firmly support and resolutely support the discipline inspection and supervision organs to review and investigate Chen Jiayuan.

Data map: Photo by Wang Xiaoping and China News Agency reporter Tomita

Wang Xiaoping and Huang Song were investigated

Director of the Disciplinary Committee of the Chinese Football Association/Director of the Competition Department

The anti-corruption storm in Chinese football did not stop after Chen Jiayuan was investigated, but instead pressed the "accelerator button".

On March 3, Wang Xiaoping, director of the Discipline Committee of the Chinese Football Association, and Huang Song, director of the competition department of the Chinese Football Association, reported that they had been investigated.

Wang Xiaoping has served as the director of the Disciplinary Committee of the Football Association for more than ten years. In 2009, when the Chinese football scene was in the last round of anti-gambling crackdown, he began to serve as the director of the Football Association's disciplinary committee, and also read out the punishment decision for counterfeiting teams.

A reporter from Chinanews.com found that in 2017, he issued as many as 279 fines for violations of discipline in professional leagues. In recent years, the scale of some fines has often sparked discussions in the football industry and heated discussions in the outside world.

Coupled with Huang Song, director of the competition department of the Chinese Football Association, who was also informed, the anti-corruption storm has penetrated into the field of professional leagues.

Data map: Yu Hongchen Image source: Osports All Sports Photo Agency

Yu Hongchen and Dong Zheng were investigated

Former Vice Chairman of the Chinese Football Association / Former General Manager of China Super League

Only five days later, on March 5, Yu Hongchen, chairman of the Chinese Athletic Association, reported that he had been investigated. He has worked in the football system for many years, and was the vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association, in charge of the executive board of professional leagues and the Chinese Super League.

At the same time, Yu Hongchen is also a first-hand witness of the last round of "anti-gambling and anti-gang" work in Chinese football.

At that time, after the arrest of Nan Yong, former vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association, Yu Hongchen said: "This is the most profound warning education that has happened around us, and the mistakes made by these top leaders in the industry are indeed painful." I hope that everyone in the football industry can take this opportunity to reflect deeply and realize their own shortcomings. ”

The investigation of Yu Hongchen, who was in charge of the league, and Dong Zheng, the former general manager of the Chinese Super League, means that the corruption problem in the professional league field has been further explored.

Infographic: Du Zhaocai. Image source: Chinese Football Association

Du Zhaocai was investigated

Member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the State General Administration of Sports

On April 4, 1 days after the Chinese Football Association President Chen Jiayuan reported the investigation, the report on the investigation of Du Zhaocai, deputy director of the State General Administration of Sports and secretary of the Party Committee of the Chinese Football Association, appeared on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission.

Just about half a month ago, the Chinese Football Association held a meeting of all cadres. At the meeting, Du Zhaocai said that in the face of the current outstanding problems in the football industry, we must have the courage to face the problems head-on. "Deeply learn the lessons of a series of recent corruption cases, painstakingly think about the pain, learn from the case, and use the case to promote reform."

Nine days ago, Du Zhaocai also spoke generously at the annual work conference of key cities for football development, saying that the focus of football work should be shifted to youth football, and the mechanism for training and further education of football talents should be smoothed.

After the meeting, Du Zhaocai, who was a little haggard at the time, specially came to the participating media reporter area to briefly greet: "These tasks take time, please." ”

However, for Du Zhaocai, there is no "time".

Du Zhaocai spoke at the annual work conference of national football development key cities. Photo by China News Network reporter Bian Liqun

Did it scrape to the bone?

In 126 days, under the magic and irony, all kinds of vices in Chinese football from youth football, professional football to the national team level have been uprooted.

To a certain extent, this also explains why Chinese football has not improved for many years, but has continued to sink in reincarnation.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Kang Ping

On March 3, the National Inspection Work Conference and the first round of inspection mobilization and deployment meeting of the 27th Central Committee were held. In this round of inspections, the Party Group of the State General Administration of Sports was the only target included in the mobile inspection.

Li Xi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Central Leading Group for Inspection Work, attended the National Inspection Work Conference and the first round of inspection mobilization and deployment meeting of the 20th Central Committee and stressed that in carrying out mobile inspections of the State General Administration of Sports, it is necessary to focus on the performance of the party's leading functions and responsibilities, implement the major decisions and arrangements for the construction of a strong sports country, and deeply find out and promote the solution of corruption and deep-seated institutional problems in the sports field, especially in the football field, so as to provide a strong guarantee for building a strong sports country.

Only five days later, Du Zhao was investigated, which shows the high efficiency and speed of the inspection.

It is expected that after scraping the bones and curing the poison, Chinese football can usher in a good environment for solid cultivation and overcoming difficulties, so that football practitioners, especially football association officials, can have less luck and more practical work.

Only in this way can Chinese football usher in a real rebirth and achieve rejuvenation. (End)