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Nike tied to soccer scandal inquiry
By Feng Jianmin |
September 16, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Chinese Football Association investigation into bribery and match-fixing has widened to encompass one of its sponsors, Xinmin Evening News reported yesterday.
Li Tong, market director of Nike China, has been taken into custody by police in Shenyang, a city in Liaoning Province in northeast China, to assist the investigation, the newspaper said.
Calls to Li's mobile phone went unanswered after being transferred to his secretary, while text messages to Li yielded no response, the newspaper said.
Nike China acknowledged in an e-mail that Li has been absent from duty since September 8, but gave no further comment.
An unnamed police official in Liaoning Province told the newspaper that Li is being investigated about the sponsorship between Nike and Chinese Football Association. But the official declined to offer details.
Shanghai Daily tried to reach Nike China but calls to the office went unanswered.
Nike became the official partner of Chinese Football Association Super League in 2009, signing a 10-year sponsorship contract worth a total US$200 million.
The company reportedly persuaded the CFA to bypass other candidate cities and hold the 2010 Super League opening ceremony in Beijing, which hadn't applied for the event, for the sake of audience size, according to a report from CBNweekly.
No sponsors other than Nike have been reported to be involved in the investigation.
The football association's other major sponsors include tire maker Pirelli and the China Chongqing Shineray Motorcycle Company.
A month ago, investigators looked into CFA's 2006 deal with iPhox, a former sponsor of the Super League.
The British telecommunication company went bankrupt in 2007 before completing its contract, leaving 5.4 million euros unpaid to the association.
The former head of CFA, Nan Yong, who signed the contract without inspecting the company's credit, was suspected of receiving commissions on the deal.
More than 10 players and officials, including Nan Yong and Xie Yalong, vice chairman of the scandal-plagued CFA, have been arrested on suspicion of bribing or threatening players and referees to determine the outcome of games they had bet on.
Li Tong, market director of Nike China, has been taken into custody by police in Shenyang, a city in Liaoning Province in northeast China, to assist the investigation, the newspaper said.
Calls to Li's mobile phone went unanswered after being transferred to his secretary, while text messages to Li yielded no response, the newspaper said.
Nike China acknowledged in an e-mail that Li has been absent from duty since September 8, but gave no further comment.
An unnamed police official in Liaoning Province told the newspaper that Li is being investigated about the sponsorship between Nike and Chinese Football Association. But the official declined to offer details.
Shanghai Daily tried to reach Nike China but calls to the office went unanswered.
Nike became the official partner of Chinese Football Association Super League in 2009, signing a 10-year sponsorship contract worth a total US$200 million.
The company reportedly persuaded the CFA to bypass other candidate cities and hold the 2010 Super League opening ceremony in Beijing, which hadn't applied for the event, for the sake of audience size, according to a report from CBNweekly.
No sponsors other than Nike have been reported to be involved in the investigation.
The football association's other major sponsors include tire maker Pirelli and the China Chongqing Shineray Motorcycle Company.
A month ago, investigators looked into CFA's 2006 deal with iPhox, a former sponsor of the Super League.
The British telecommunication company went bankrupt in 2007 before completing its contract, leaving 5.4 million euros unpaid to the association.
The former head of CFA, Nan Yong, who signed the contract without inspecting the company's credit, was suspected of receiving commissions on the deal.
More than 10 players and officials, including Nan Yong and Xie Yalong, vice chairman of the scandal-plagued CFA, have been arrested on suspicion of bribing or threatening players and referees to determine the outcome of games they had bet on.
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