Huang Song and Koo Chien-ming were both caught in the same corruption quagmire, and the bribes they received were recovered and returned to the national treasury in accordance with the law. The two men were heavily fined, Huang Song was fined 600,000 yuan and Koo 400,000 yuan. Ma Chengquan was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison and fined 700,000 yuan for accepting bribes, and two years in prison and fined 100,000 yuan for accepting bribes by influence. The final combined sentence was eleven years and three months, with a total fine of 800,000 yuan. The proceeds of his passive bribery and bribery by influence will also be fully recovered into the treasury in accordance with the law, and if there is a shortfall, additional recoveries will be made.
Following the announcement of these five major cases, the verdicts of seven key figures, including Li Tie, former head coach of China's men's national soccer team; Du Zhaocai, former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China (whose case has yet to be brought to trial); Liu Yi, former secretary general of the Chinese Football Association (CFA); Liu Jun, chairman of the Super League Company (SLC); Wang Xiaoping, former head of the Disciplinary Committee of the CFA; Tan Hai, head of the technical department of the CFA; and Qi Jun, head of the strategic planning department of the CFA, are still pending.
Among this group of figures, Li Tie is undoubtedly the most popular with fans. The former head coach of the Chinese men's soccer team has been publicly tried in the first trial and is facing five felony charges involving as much as 120 million yuan. Even though Li Tie has pleaded guilty, the court's decision is not yet available. Referring to the case of Chen Xuyuan, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption of 81.03 million yuan, Li Tie could face a heavy sentence of life imprisonment or even death.
Famous commentator Han Qiaosheng's comments on this series of football anti-corruption cases hit the nail on the head: "The trial of these cases is not only a punishment for the offenders, but also a wake-up call for the soccer industry. The road of anti-corruption has no end, but a new journey. Fans expect the national soccer team to bask in a clean and honest environment as it moves forward. All soccer practitioners are obliged to exercise self-discipline, integrity and fairness are the cornerstones of the industry, and FA managers in particular should be resolute in fighting corruption, setting a good example and fundamentally improving the team's spirit and competitive level."
