Liu Jun, chairman of the Chinese Super League, was taken away for investigation, and the internal education rectification of the football association was extended for two weeks.
At two o'clock yesterday afternoon, a meeting of all middle-level cadres was held in the conference room of the Beijing office building of the Chinese Football Association, and an important meeting officially began. When the middle-level cadres gathered, each received a message. Liu Jun's name, the man who led the future of Chinese football, is now the latest to be taken away by the authorities.
What does this mean for a country so keen to fight corruption in football? Liu Jun is the 14th key figure to be detained since the start of this shocking anti-corruption campaign following the arrest of former national football coach Li Tie last year. Four of them are current or former chairmen of Super Corporation. The question that everyone is talking about - what will happen next?
The last time Mr. Liu, 7, was seen in public was on the morning of his detention. While working on the preparation of a CFA and discussing business matters with colleagues, there is hardly any indication of what will happen in a few hours. By the afternoon, his absence reverberated throughout the institution he helped establish.
For those with a slight interest in Chinese football, the name Liu Jun is not unfamiliar. Ten years ago, he was the general manager of former Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Shuntian Ocean. He joined the Chinese professional football governing body at the end of 2018 and was eventually promoted to deputy head of the preparatory team of the Chinese Football Association in July 2021. His responsibilities are broad, but primarily focused on business development and league operations. He rose to this key role very quickly, but the rate of decline was just as rapid.
His arrest further ignited the anti-corruption storm that has swept Chinese football since last year. Since 2023, a group of middle and high-level officials have been detained, suspected of serious violations of discipline and law. Liu Jun is the first active player in the Chinese Super League to fall into this net in 2023.
The wave of his arrests had far-reaching consequences. Notably, the CFA's three-month internal education overhaul program, which was scheduled to end at the end of August, has now been extended by two weeks. Li Yuyi was confirmed as the head of the professional league and the Chinese Super League, marking a reshuffle at the top.
The endless arrests paint a grim picture for Chinese football. On the one hand, crackdowns are necessary interventions aimed at purifying a system damaged by corruption and ethical issues. On the other hand, it creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and mistrust that jeopardizes the future of the sport in the country.
We need to question not only the integrity of detained officials, but also the effectiveness of the system that allows such corruption to spread. Will this ongoing crackdown lead to a clean football governance structure, or will it weaken the spirit and motivation needed to bring Chinese football up to international standards?
In my opinion, the arrests, while sensational, are only a superficial solution. If Chinese football is to be resurrected, it needs to be completely transformed, not just punitive. It requires a transparent, accountable governance model and, above all, a resilience to the vicious effects of corruption.
As for Liu, his worrying reminder of the fragility of power and the intricacies of Chinese soccer governance. Now, his story has become a shock to the nation. Time is passing, and the ball has reached the court of the Chinese Football Association. Will they score or possess?
The whole network has been opened to protect rights, and reprinting is prohibited without the author's authorization