Chen Xuyuan, a name that used to be a symbol of hope in soccer circles.
"I will do my best to adhere to the correct view of achievement, 'success does not have to be in me, success must be in me', grasp the present, look to the future, solidly promote the development of Chinese soccer, follow the laws of soccer, and carry out the work of soccer development in a meticulous manner."
These were the bold words of Chen Xuyuan in August 2019, when he took office as president of the CFA.
As the first full-time president of the CFA, he carries many expectations.
However, it seems that he did not have time to fulfill his duties for a long time, and only three and a half years later, he quickly became the focus of the media for "suspected serious disciplinary violations" and "being investigated".
Chen Xuyuan's figure has appeared frequently in recent news reports. From Li Tie, the former head coach of the national soccer team, to Liu Yi, the former secretary general of the Football Association (FA), Chen Yongliang, the executive deputy secretary general, and Chen Xuyuan, the president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), all of them have been involved in investigations in just 80 days.
This may just be a short pause in the course of Chinese soccer's "wild ride".
Yet, 10 or 20 years ago, was such a pause ever mistaken for the end? Perhaps we never anticipated that only a decade or so would separate the two pauses.
Reincarnation never seems to stop.
The statistics show that the election result is without any doubt: 47 votes in favor, 0 votes against and 0 abstentions. Chen Xuyuan was successfully elected as the 11th President of CFA.
With Lippi's "second return" and the national football team's impact on the World Cup, Chen Xuyuan has become the new head of Chinese soccer.
As the first non-sports management system chairman in the history of CFA, he carries a lot of expectations.
In his 46 years with the Shanghai Port Group, he worked his way up from dockworker to group executive. Many expect him to bring a new course to the disoriented Chinese soccer.
However, with the dismissal of Li Tie, the national soccer team's head coach at the 12-team stage of the world qualifying tournament, due to an off-field fiasco, the national soccer team once again missed out on the World Cup, and the cycle played itself out once again.
Chen Xuyuan was caught in a similar whirlwind of controversy as his predecessor, but at the time the discussion centered on whether to stay or leave.
During his three and a half years in office, Chen Xuyuan left behind many classic quotes.
"Do you realize? That our conscience is dead?"
"Football is a noble sport that must not be tainted and distorted by money."
"In the past three months, I have always felt uneasy and a soccer ball has always been on my mind. Responsibility is crucial and the ability to meet the expectations of the majority of the population ultimately depends on the long-term development of the soccer business."
"I was hesitant, frustrated, and even thought about backing out, but now I'm strong and I believe I have to."
How loud the vows were, and how ironic they seem now.
80 days, an ironic point in time.
Chinese soccer in just 80 days, a rapid "surge", several important figures were investigated one after another announced the news, "hit rate" is very high.
Li Tie, the former coach who led the national soccer team to the top 12 of the Asian zone in the world qualifying tournament, was investigated as the World Cup rages on in Qatar.
Ironically, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia, who are in the same group as the national soccer team, have all made history on the World Cup stage.
Li Tie's investigation is just the beginning, followed by the former Secretary-General of the Football Association, Liu Yi, and the Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the Football Association, Chen Yongliang, were also both investigated.
Just before the announcement of Chen Xuyuan's investigation, Meng Zhen, a director and co-president of Huaxia Happiness Foundation Ltd, was retained on suspicion of violating the law.
Notably, he was the president of Hebei Huaxia Happiness Football Club. Li Tie has coached Hebei.
From November 26, 2022, when Li Tie was investigated, to the current FA chairman Chen Xuyuan, in just 80 days, the Chinese soccer world has announced the information that three FA executives, a coach, and the chairman of the club were investigated.
Perhaps these are just commas left behind by the rapid "surge" of Chinese soccer.
Such a comma came into being 22 years ago.
On October 16, 2009, former Guangdong Eagles owner Zhong Guojian was taken under police control, kicking off the last anti-gambling and anti-triad operation in Chinese soccer.
"Pulling the carrot and bringing the mud", from Guangzhou Football Association official Yang Xu, former Guangzhou club executives, to Football Association official Fan Guangming, former Jinde coach Ding Zhe, former general manager of Shaanxi Guoli Club.
One by one, China's soccer chief Nan Yong, his partner Yang Yimin, and Zhang Jianqiang, the former director of the refereeing committee, have been implicated.
Only eight months after Nan Yong was taken away, former Chinese soccer captain Xie Yalong was also investigated for suspected match-fixing, commercial bribery and other crimes, along with referee committee director Li Dongsheng and former national soccer team captain Wei Shaohui.
There are also well-known referees such as Lu Jun of Golden Whistle, referee James Huang, Zhou Weixin and Wan Daxue.
The breadth of involvement and the depth of rot within Chinese soccer is staggering.
In retrospect, this was just a qualitative node.
As early as 2001, the day before the national football team entered the World Cup in Korea and Japan, Chinese soccer broke out in the "A B five rats" incident, Zhejiang Greentown 0:6 defeat in Changchun Yatai.
After the match, Song Weiping, then owner of Zhejiang, announced the dismissal of five players with problems and submitted a list of "black whistles" to the CFA.
He didn't even hesitate to blow his own whistle on bribery: "I will never defend myself. If my imprisonment changes the anti-moral and anti-values perception in soccer, it will be worth it. I also think that the clubs that played fake football with us should be punished in the same way. Only after such pain can Chinese soccer be reborn."
Yan Shiduo, the then head of Chinese soccer, said that he would severely punish the "A B five rats" related to the person in charge and the black whistle.
However, Chinese soccer did not get the "new life" that Song Weiping expected, but rather ended up under the incarceration of referee Gong Jianping.
From Gong Jianping, to Nan Yong and Xie Yalong, to Chen Xuyuan and Li Tie, Chinese soccer has gone through three anti-gambling and blackmail storms in the past 22 years, but has failed to usher in a new life, and instead has continued to sink in the cycle.
When Nan Yong was in office, he said, "China's soccer development still has a long way to go. The next three or five years may not be good, but in ten or twenty years Chinese soccer will definitely get better."
But more than a decade has passed.
