Following the investigation of former national team head coach Li Tie and many other senior officials of the football association, on April 1, Du Zhaocai, member of the party group and deputy director of the State General Administration of Sports, was also suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, and was subject to disciplinary review and supervision and investigation by the State Supervision Commission of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Who will be next
It is reported that Du Zhao is the last person to be investigated since the investigation of former national football coach Li Tie, and 9 former and current high-level officials of the Chinese Football Association have been investigated.22 This series of anti-corruption actions is reminiscent of Cai Zhenhua, who became president of the Chinese Football Association in 2014.
Yu Hongchen network
Cai Zhenhua was once a meritorious coach and leader of National Table Tennis, and also served as the chairman of many sports associations such as Table Tennis Association, Basketball Association, and Badminton Association.
He has been in charge of football since 2010 and became president of the Football Association in 2014. During his tenure, Chinese football has experienced an unprecedented transformation and development.
Cai Zhenhua made a public appearance on March 27
Cai Zhenhua's Chinese Super League was the first league in Asia, and Guangzhou Evergrande won the AFC Champions League twice in three years.
He has vigorously promoted professional reform, youth training system construction, campus football popularization and other measures, and also introduced a number of internationally renowned coaches and players, improving the level and influence of the Chinese Super League.
He also actively participated in the affairs of FIFA and AFC, and won more voice and interests for Chinese football.
Weibo Yongfangfang posted that the story continues
However, the national team results during Cai Zhenhua's period are still stagnant, from Pei Lan to Gao Hongbo to the champion coach Lipi, the national football results are still tepid.
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Russia, the national team did not qualify with a record of 6 draws and 2 defeats. In the 2019 Asian Cup, although the national football team qualified from the group, it was defeated by Iran 4-0 in the 1/4 final.
Cai Zhenhua was in good spirits
These defeats have left Cai Zhenhua criticized and questioned by fans and the media.
In addition to the poor results of the national team, there were also some problems and hidden dangers in the Chinese Super League during Cai Zhenhua's period. Due to the lack of effective supervision and constraints, some clubs have burned money to attract signings, resulting in inflated player values, excessive salaries, and excessive financial expenditures.
Weibo screenshot
These phenomena not only affect the sustainable development of the Chinese Super League, but also bury potential risks and hidden dangers.
The relationship between Cai Zhenhua and Liu Guoliang is a mentor-apprentice and friendship. Liu Guoliang is the first Grand Slam winner cultivated by Cai Zhenhua, and is also his proud protégé and confidant.
Cai Zhenhua and Liu Guoliang
The two have led National Table Tennis to glory together, and have also faced difficulties and challenges together. After Liu Guoliang was transferred from the position of national table tennis head coach in 2017, Cai Zhenhua has been giving him support and encouragement, and appointed him as the chairman of the table tennis association in 2018. The two have deep feelings and trust, as well as common ideals and goals.
Will Liu Guoliang be affected? It depends on the development and change of the situation. At present, Liu Guoliang has not been involved in any violations of discipline and law, but has been questioned and attacked because the WTT event is suspected of match-fixing.
However, Liu Guoliang has come forward to refute the rumors and said that he will be held accountable, and has also received the support and trust of the ITTF and the WTT Organizing Committee.
The relationship between Cai Zhenhua and Zhang Jike is more complex and delicate. Zhang Jike is one of the core players of national table tennis during Cai Zhenhua's period and his proud protégé. The two have had many intimate interactions and praises, showing the deep love between master and apprentice.
Cai Zhenhua and Zhang Jike
However, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Zhang Jike did not qualify for the men's singles final due to injury, and could only win glory for the country in the men's team competition. At the award ceremony after winning the championship, Zhang Jike suddenly issued the slogan "You give me down" to Cai Zhenhua, which caused a sensation.
Although Zhang later explained that it was a joke and ridicule, many still saw it as his dissatisfaction and protest against Cai Zhenhua.
Zhang Jike is currently caught in some negative rumors and turmoil, and was recently accused of leaking private videos of his ex-girlfriend Jing Tian, and suspected of debt gambling.
To sum up, will Cai Zhenhua be involved in this anti-corruption and anti-gang crime operation? According to some news and analysis on the Internet, Cai Zhenhua, as the former president of the Football Association, once promoted the rise of Jinyuan football, and also used the senior officials of the Football Association who have fallen off the horse, such as Hongchen and Wang Dengfeng, but he has indelible merits and influence in the field of table tennis.
Therefore, there is no clear news and evidence whether Cai Zhenhua will be investigated. However, judging from the trend of high-level investigations of the football association, he may be implicated and influenced.