Thirty-Nine Sentences for Corrupt Soccer Officials

The drive to root out corruption in soccer continues, as more officials were met with harsh sentences on Saturday. Included were the prominent former soccer deputy-chief and a director of referees.

Yang Yimin, the former deputy-chief of the Chinese Soccer Association, was given a ten and a half year sentence as well as a $32,000 fine. According to state media, he’s taken bribes totaling over $200,000 on 40 different occasions.

The Association’s former referees director, Zhang Jianqiang, was also found guilty of taking bribes. He received a 12-year sentence and a near $40,000 fine.

Neither of the two intended to appeal, according to their lawyers.

A total of 39 verdicts and sentences were read aloud at Tieling court, giving a number of corrupt soccer officials long sentences.

According to state media, soccer fans celebrated outside the court by setting off fireworks. Soccer is a popular but corruption-ridden domestic sport in China. These corruption exposure rulings come ahead of the March 10th Chinese Super League, where a number of scandal-hit teams are set to compete.