The former Vice President of the Chinese Football Association has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for bribery. Discover the details of the case and the sentence.
According to Xinhua, Li Yuyi, the former vice president of the Chinese Football Association, has been sentenced by a court in China to 11 years behind bars for accepting bribes and gifts as favors.
On Monday, August 19, the verdict was pronounced after a probe that alleged Li of exploiting his positions in both Chinese Football Association and Chinese Football Association Super League Company from 2004 to 2021.
Li was not only sentenced to prison, but he was also ordered to pay a fine of 1 million yuan (around $139,579) for receiving over $1.69 million worth of cash and valuable items in exchange for facilitating different matters throughout his time in office as discovered by the court.
In his concluding statement in March, Li Yuyi admitted to engaging in corrupt activities and expressed remorse for his actions.
Several prominent individuals within Chinese football have been under investigation for corruption since late 2022, and this verdict is a part of the wider crackdown.
Various officials have been targeted by the crackdown, including two past presidents of a soccer association who received sentences of 10 and a half years in prison for similar offenses back in 2012.
One of the biggest corruption scandals ever to hit China’s sporting arena erupted earlier this year after a former chief of its soccer association was found guilty on charges amounting to accepting over $10 million in bribes, earning him a life sentence behind bars.
President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive remains a top priority for the Chinese Communist Party, with Li Yuyi’s conviction being a noteworthy example of this ongoing effort.
