sport news Former China Football Federation president is sentenced to LIFE in prison ... trends now

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The former president of China's Football Federation [CFA], Chen Xuyuan, has been sentenced to life in prison for bribery, as reported by the country's state media.

Xuyan served as the CFA's chief during a four-year spell between 2019 and 2023 and faced charges alongside fellow members of former staff charged with corruption within the organisation.

President Xi Jinping has been leading an anti-corruption investigation in China's sport, banking and military organisations, with Xuyan one of the most significant high-profile individuals to now be convicted.

The 67-year-old had already plead guilty to taking bribes totalling £8.9m in January and was handed a full life sentence by the Intermediate People's Court of Huangshi in central China on Tuesday.

The investigation that led to Xuyuan's conviction covered a spell of illicit activities and malpractices during his time within the CFA and as former president and chairman of Shanghai International Port Group over a 13-year stint starting in 2010.