The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced the punishment for China League One club Qingdao Jonoon on Thursday, as the club was given a seven-point deduction in the Chinese second-tier league for its "cheating activity" regarding Chinese midfielder Liu Jian.

Jonoon was also fined 400,000 yuan ($65,000).

Former Jonoon captain Liu parted ways with the club on loan to Guangzhou Evergrande last year. But after the spell, at the same time Jonoon were relegated from the Chinese ­Super League (CSL), Liu decided to make his transfer to the top-flight leaders permanent.

However he waited for nearly a month to regain the right to play due to Jonoon's appeal to the CFA, demanding Liu remain a Jonoon player.

Reports said Liu was in a black-and-white contract with Jonoon.

Jonoon sat in sixth place in the ­second tier on 30 points before the punishment came out.

Again the CFA's decision was controversial. Last season, top-flight clubs Shanghai Shenhua and Tianjin Teda were deducted six points each, one point less than the penalty for ­Jonoon, after being involved in match-fixing scandals in 2003.

Jonoon have decided to appeal against the CFA's decision, asking the governing body to disclose the details how they "cheated."

In a statement, Jonoon said they will resort to legal means to fight against corruption in the CFA.

Also on Thursday, CSL company president Yu Hongchen was replaced by fellow CFA official Ma Chengquan. Yu is one of the vice-­presidents of the CFA.