The recent shocking news that Chen Xuyuan, former chairman of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), has been indicted by the prosecutor on suspicion of abuse of power, bribery, and other felonies has sparked a great deal of concern in the industry and among the public. There was much speculation about what kind of harsh punishment the once powerful soccer leader would face.
Looking back at Chen Xuyuan's past, he worked for the Shanghai Port Group, and his love of soccer prompted him to vigorously promote the establishment of Shanghai Port FC (now known as Shanghai Port). With the huge investment, in just a few years, Shanghai Port team among the Chinese Super League giants, Chen Xuyuan also realized his personal ambition. 2018, Shanghai team with 12 billion yuan investment, finally won the first Chinese Super League championship in the team's history, a time of boundless glory.
However, one championship did not satisfy Chen Xuyuan's ambitions, and he went on to run for and was successfully elected president of the CFA. Although his power was limited after he left office, the scale of corruption involved in his tenure as CFA president was even greater, and he eventually came to an end.
According to soccer media, Chen Xuyuan's corruption amounted to as much as 3 billion yuan during his tenure, involving a 50 million yuan bribe from general manager Ding Yong, as well as huge expenditures by numerous clubs in their quest for foreign aid adjustment fees and relegation spots.
Legal expert Chen analyzed that, given the nature of the case and the amount of money involved, the disciplinary department formally filed a public prosecution to the Intermediate Court, which shows the seriousness of Chen Xuyuan's case. The expert also pointed out that Chen Xuyuan may face a life sentence or even the death penalty, the prospect is worrying. This will undoubtedly be the most severe legal sanctions in the history of CFA executives.
Chen Xuyuan, as chairman of the Football Association, should be committed to promoting the development of Chinese soccer, but he used his position to seek personal gain, support for specific clubs, his professional morals are degraded, will be severely punished by law.
Chen Xuyuan's case has attracted widespread attention, making fans look forward to the final outcome of the trial and its impact on Chinese soccer. We expect the relevant authorities to maintain the fairness and justice of soccer, to help Chinese soccer return to the right track, and to recreate the glory of the 2002 World Cup by severely punishing Chen Xuyuan and other former executives of the Football Association for their illegal behavior.
