Beijing (AsiaNews) - Match fixing has come to China. Nine people, including the country's best-known referee, were convicted for fixing matches to benefit on rigged bets. Lu Jun, once dubbed the "golden whistle", was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail for taking bribes. Other investigations are currently underway.
A court in the northeastern city of Dandong heard stories in connection with four clubs, including the Shanghai Shenhua, which has just signed French soccer star Nicolas Anelka. In one, the Shanghai club is said to have spent nearly US$ 1million paying off officials and referees, US$ 128,000 for Lu Jun alone to fix seven matches.
Lu was the first Chinese to referee a World Cup match, at the 2002 Japan-South Korea FIFA World Cup. He was also named twice referee of the year by the Asian Football Confederation. Now he is going to prison along with eight other offenders who received sentences of up to seven years.
Soccer is trying to make a breakthrough in China. People like it but it takes some time to get used to. A league worthy of its name did not emerge overnight.
In the past decade, the authorities have invested in the sector and encouraged clubs to sign Western players (often at the end of their career).
In 2009, the government launched a campaign to "clean up" the sector after it became evident that corruption was rife.
Dozens of players, trainers and officials were arrested. Now, according to China's official news agency, Xinhua, the Federation's top two officials are awaiting trial.