Former Chinese soccer chief goes on trial for graft

Irish Sun (IANS) Wednesday 25th April, 2012

Former Chinese soccer chief credited with leading the Chinese team into their only World Cup finals was put on bribery trial here Wednesday.

Nan Yong, the former director of the Chinese Football Administrative Center, stood trial on multiple charges of bribe-taking in Tieling, one day after his predecessor Xie Yalong faced court in Dandong, another Liaoning city, reports Xinhua.

At the same time, the trials against four Chinese top players started in Shenyang, Liaoning's provincial capital.

The 50-year-old Nan, named as a vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association at the age of 35, was instrumental in China's only appearance in the World Cup finals as he hired Serbian coach Bora Milutinovic despite voices of opposition and oversaw the qualifying campaign as the team's chef-de-mission.

Nan was arrested in 2010 with his associates Yang Yimin and Zhang Jianqiang, who had been sentenced in February's bribery trials to 10 1/2 years and 12 years in prison respectively.

In Dandong, Li Dongsheng, the former head of the CFA's referees committee, faced charges of bribery and embezzlement.

Qi Hong and Jiang Jin, the key players in China's successful run to the 2002 World Cup finals, were on trial with Shen Si and Li Ming.

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