Top referee bribed to help team
By Ni Yinbin |
March 31, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
One of China's top soccer referees has admitted receiving 350,000 yuan (US$53,387) for helping Shanghai Shenhua beat Shanghai International in a match on November 9, 2003, it was revealed yesterday.
International was top of the league before the game but Shenhua won the Chinese Jia A League match 4-1 and went on to take the league title.
Former China Football Association official Zhang Jianqiang is said to have asked Lu Jun to call the game in Shenhua's favor, promising cash if it won the game.
The details were revealed by officials investigating three Chinese soccer referees - Lu Jun, Zhou Weixin and Huang Junjie - who were arrested on charges of taking bribes last year.
"I was told to take care of Shenhua in the game," said Lu, who refereed more than 200 matches in the domestic league over the course of his career and was the first Chinese referee to officiate at the World Cup. "That meant do not let Shenhua lose the match within the rules."
Lu said he was paid in Zhang's office. "The money was packed in a paper bag," he said.
"Shanghai Shenhua later brought commissions worth 700,000 yuan to my office. Lu and I each got 350,000 yuan," Zhang is said to have told investigators. He was arrested for alleged match-fixing and bribery in March 2010.
Lu denied that he had made any bad calls in the 2003 match, although he did send off an International player.
"I just warned Shenhua's players not to foul otherwise I would give them yellow cards," Lu said. "I was taking care of Shenhua emotionally."
According to match statistics, Shenhua was penalized for more fouls than International - 20 to 13.
"Lu would call some small fouls frequently to pretend that he was not benefiting the team," said Yu Xuebing, a detective with the Shenyang police in Liaoning Province, the main body investigating bribery and corruption in soccer nationwide.
"To the other team, he could be lenient with some small fouls, but once a big foul was made, he would give them stricter penalties."
The two other referees, Zhou and Huang, admitted fixing the games, respectively, between Beijing Guo'an and Shenyang Jinde in October 2004 and between Guangzhou Yiyao and Qingdao Zhongneng in 2009.
Both were found to have made unfair calls that affected the match outcome after being promised bribes.
"Our investigation found that it was a common practice for football clubs to give bribes to referees," said Cui Weidong, an official in charge of the case.
"Football clubs gave bribes to referees through a variety of means. On most occasions, they gave cash directly and the amounts varied according to the importance of the game," Cui added.
China has been cracking down on match-fixing scandals and gambling since November 2009.
Nan Yong and Yang Yimin, both vice chairmen of the national football association, were arrested for alleged match-fixing and bribery last March. Xie Yalong, a former vice chairman of the association, was arrested for bribery last October.
International was top of the league before the game but Shenhua won the Chinese Jia A League match 4-1 and went on to take the league title.
Former China Football Association official Zhang Jianqiang is said to have asked Lu Jun to call the game in Shenhua's favor, promising cash if it won the game.
The details were revealed by officials investigating three Chinese soccer referees - Lu Jun, Zhou Weixin and Huang Junjie - who were arrested on charges of taking bribes last year.
"I was told to take care of Shenhua in the game," said Lu, who refereed more than 200 matches in the domestic league over the course of his career and was the first Chinese referee to officiate at the World Cup. "That meant do not let Shenhua lose the match within the rules."
Lu said he was paid in Zhang's office. "The money was packed in a paper bag," he said.
"Shanghai Shenhua later brought commissions worth 700,000 yuan to my office. Lu and I each got 350,000 yuan," Zhang is said to have told investigators. He was arrested for alleged match-fixing and bribery in March 2010.
Lu denied that he had made any bad calls in the 2003 match, although he did send off an International player.
"I just warned Shenhua's players not to foul otherwise I would give them yellow cards," Lu said. "I was taking care of Shenhua emotionally."
According to match statistics, Shenhua was penalized for more fouls than International - 20 to 13.
"Lu would call some small fouls frequently to pretend that he was not benefiting the team," said Yu Xuebing, a detective with the Shenyang police in Liaoning Province, the main body investigating bribery and corruption in soccer nationwide.
"To the other team, he could be lenient with some small fouls, but once a big foul was made, he would give them stricter penalties."
The two other referees, Zhou and Huang, admitted fixing the games, respectively, between Beijing Guo'an and Shenyang Jinde in October 2004 and between Guangzhou Yiyao and Qingdao Zhongneng in 2009.
Both were found to have made unfair calls that affected the match outcome after being promised bribes.
"Our investigation found that it was a common practice for football clubs to give bribes to referees," said Cui Weidong, an official in charge of the case.
"Football clubs gave bribes to referees through a variety of means. On most occasions, they gave cash directly and the amounts varied according to the importance of the game," Cui added.
China has been cracking down on match-fixing scandals and gambling since November 2009.
Nan Yong and Yang Yimin, both vice chairmen of the national football association, were arrested for alleged match-fixing and bribery last March. Xie Yalong, a former vice chairman of the association, was arrested for bribery last October.
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