Chinese players paid large bribes for places at the national soccer team’s training camp, and even bigger ones to play in internationals, according to a report in a local government-run newspaper.
The allegations this week in Shanghai’s Oriental Morning Post are the latest to rock the scandal-plagued Chinese Football Association (CFA).
Police said yesterday that the CFA’s former top official, Nan Yong, and deputy Yang Yimin, had been formally detained on suspicion of wrongdoing, but gave no details of the accusations against them.
The pair were removed from their positions last week after police began questioning them over match-fixing allegations.
According to the Post, a single trip to the national youth squad’s camp cost 80,000 yuan (US$12,000), while a place at the adult team’s camp was priced at 100,000 yuan.
A call-up to an actual official match required a bribe of 200,000 yuan, the paper said.
National team appearances enhance not only players’ prestige, but also their bank balances, offering added leverage in salary negotiations with clubs while also improving chances of a lucrative move abroad.
The Post did not say to whom the bribes were paid, although soccer association officials exercise broad powers over staff and coaching decisions.
An association spokesman yesterday said he would first have to ask higher ranking officials for permission to comment on the report.
Investigators launched a drive against match fixing and corruption last year following complaints from state leaders over poor performance by the national team, which now ranks No. 97 in the world.
Last month, 16 team officials and others were arrested on suspicion of bribing or threatening players and referees to determine the outcome of games they had bet on.
Despite its woes, the 16-team China Super League hit an attendance record average of 16,300 a game last season. Sponsors Nike and Pirelli have made a combined annual commitment of US$22 million to sponsor the league.
The large sums involved in the Chinese game could create new opportunities for corruption, Chinese Sports Minister Liu Peng said at a meeting on Tuesday.
“We should keep a firm resolve to fight corruption in soccer and regulate the sports,” Liu was quoted as saying by the China Daily newspaper.
“We have no mercy for those who break the law through match manipulation and gambling,” Liu said.
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