Chinese footballer exposes the country's match-fixing problem

According to the player, who preferred to remain anonymous, the pandemic has created favorable conditions for corruption. Empty stadiums have become a convenient environment for coaches and managers, who could easily negotiate the sale of games. Players have also actively participated in the fraud, betting on their teams to lose, knowing that the match had already been “sold”.

The source noted that this was especially common in the second division of Chinese football. The reasons, in his opinion, varied: some were trying to make money, others - to maintain their place in the league or get promoted.

The player also added that over the years of his career, he has learned to predict when a team is about to “give up” a game. He recalled that in preparation for matches the team actually intended to win, training was full-on, with tactical sessions, detailed analysis and preparation for set pieces. However, if the team had agreed to lose in advance, training would be relaxed, with 15-on-15 teams instead of the usual 11-on-11, and coaches themselves taking part in training, as if they were back in their school days.

“Many players saw what I saw and were simply betting on us losing,” he added.

The player’s revelation came just two weeks after a major scandal saw 43 players and officials banned from football for life. The sanctions were imposed by the Chinese Football Association after they were found to be involved in match-fixing and corruption.

The investigation found that more than 120 matches were rigged, leading to 128 individuals and 41 teams being investigated. Among those disqualified was South Korean footballer Song Joon-ho, who later said that Chinese authorities had forced him to confess under threat of harm to his family.

However, there remain skeptics among fans who believe that China is sacrificing smaller teams to distract attention from the national team's failures in international tournaments.