Crooked sports head pleads guilty to bribery

The former head of the Chinese Athletics Association, Yu Hongchen, pleaded guilty at trial on Tuesday to charges of corruption related to soccer and accepting bribes totaling 22.5 million yuan ($3.18 million).

The Huangshi Intermediate People's Court in Hubei province heard his case, where he also made a final statement. The court will issue its verdict at a later date.

Prosecutors told the court that Yu made use of his various previous positions, including as deputy director of the Football Management Center of the General Administration of Sport, chairman of the Chinese Super League, vice-president of the Chinese Football Association, director of the athletics management center of the General Administration of Sport, and vice-president of the Chinese Athletics Association, to assist entities and individuals in matters such as company operations, league promotions and job competitions.

From April 2010 to February last year, he accepted property and money valued at over 22.5 million yuan from others.

Yu underwent disciplinary review and supervisory investigation in March last year.

China initiated anti-corruption measures around soccer at the end of 2022.

As a result, several senior and mid-level officials in the sector, including Yu, have been investigated.

Apart from Yu, the bribery case of Dong Zheng, former general manager of the Chinese Super League, was also publicly heard on the same day at the Songzi People's Court in Hubei.

Chen Xuyuan, former head of the CFA, Chen Yongliang, former head of the CFA's national team management department, and Liu Lei, former head of the competition department of the Wuhan Football Management Center, stood trial on Monday on suspicion of bribery.