Disciplinary committee after corruption scandal

of Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced on Sunday the creation of a new internal body, the Discipline and Ethics Committee, which will be responsible for supervisory and ethics management functions in the country’s football industry, in a new attempt to strengthen trust in the sport after years of corruption scandals.

As reported, CFA The decision, approved at a meeting of the executive committee, consolidates powers previously exercised by the Disciplinary Committee and the Ethics and Fair Play Committee, which have since been disbanded, according to a statement posted on the company’s website.

According to the document, the new organization will centralize these powers in accordance with the federation’s constitution and the rules of FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and the CFA itself.

leader Xu Jiacai He has been appointed as chairman of the new committee, whose main responsibilities will include investigating disciplinary violations, overseeing the ethical conduct of players, referees and managers, and applying sanctions in accordance with current regulations.

The move comes against a backdrop of a deep loss of confidence in Chinese football, which has been rocked since late 2022 by the largest anti-corruption campaign in the sport’s recent history.

Since then, at least 18 people have been found guilty on charges related to bribery and match-fixing, including former CFA executives, Chinese Super League executives, referees and coaches.

The most emblematic cases include the case in which former federation president Chen Xueyuan was sentenced to life in prison, and the case in which former national team coach Li Tie was sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery and bribery.

These investigations further eroded public trust in the football system and contributed to a decline in interest in the domestic league.

The announcement also comes at a time of frustration in the sports world after the Chinese team failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this year, despite expanding its participation to 48 teams.