India, Jan. 30 -- China banned 73 persons from soccer for life on Thursday and deducted points from nine top-tier clubs in its latest anti-corruption campaign. Former national team coach and Everton player Li Tie and Chen Xuyuan, former president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), were among those banned.

"For 73 industry personnel, including Chen Xuyuan and Li Tie, whose criminal offenses have been confirmed by effective judicial judgments, the CFA has imposed lifetime bans on participating in any football-related activities," a CFA official said.

In 2024, Li - who managed the national team from 2019 to 2021 - and Chen were convicted of accepting millions of dollars in bribes. Li was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Chen ...