Wang Xiaoping, former director of the disciplinary committee of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) Photo: Sina Weibo

Liu Jun, former chairman of the Chinese Super League company, operator of the country's top-tier professional football league. Photo: Sina Weibo

Wang Xiaoping, former director of the disciplinary committee of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), and Liu Jun, former chairman of the Chinese Super League company, operator of the country's top-tier professional football league, were sentenced for bribery on Wednesday. The two were sentenced in the first instance to 10 years and six months, and 11 years in prison, respectively.

The ruling relates to Wang's case was publicly announced by the Songzi People's Court in Central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday. He was fined 700,000 yuan ($97, 535.15) for accepting bribes. All of Wang's illicit gains and related interest obtained through bribery will be confiscated and turned over to the state treasury in accordance with the law.

Prior to the announcement, the court held a public hearing for the case on April 16, 2025.  

Also in Hubei Province the same day, the province's Tongshan County People's Court announced the verdict in the bribery case involving Liu Jun. 

Liu has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for taking bribes. Liu was also fined 1.1 million yuan while his illegal gains resulting from the bribery will be recovered and turned over to the state treasury.

On April 14, the court held a public hearing for Liu's case. 

Prior to the two recent cases, the bribery scandal involving former national team head coach Li Tie had drawn widespread public attention, serving as a "wake-up call" for the Chinese football circle to "reflect on how corruption in sports can negatively impact public opinion," and on the urgency to "underscore a well-planned anti-corruption campaign," Li Shuang, a sport commentator, told the Global Times. 

On April 30 this year, The Higher People's Court of Hubei Province publicly announced its ruling on the second-instance trial of Li. He was charged with accepting bribes, offering bribes, bribery on behalf of an organization, offering bribes to non-state personnel and more. The court rejected Li's appeal and upheld the original verdict. Previously, in the first-instance trial, Li was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the aforementioned crimes.

Including the former national team head coach, CFA's former discipline official and Chinese Football Super League's ex-chief, a total of 18 football association-related individuals have been sentenced against the backdrop of the country's efforts of anti-corruption crackdown in the football circle that was started back in November 2022, according to sports news outlet of the Titan Sports newspaper.