On the evening of August 29, Liu Jun, a senior member of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and head of the Chinese Super League (CSL), was suddenly taken away by the relevant authorities to undergo an in-depth investigation.
This shocking news instantly ignited a hot debate in the soccer circle, following last year's anti-corruption storm in the Chinese soccer world, Liu Jun has become another key member of the Football Association who has fallen from grace.
Since November 2022, when former Chinese national soccer team head coach Li Tie was under investigation, the wave of anti-corruption in Chinese soccer has continued, with 14 key figures in the soccer industry arrested by the police so far.
The list also includes heavyweights such as Du Zhaocai, a former deputy director of the State General Administration of Sports, and Chen Xuyuan, who was at the helm of the Football Association.
At the Chinese Super League level, Liu Jun became the fourth chairman to be investigated, with the first three being Hong Chen, Ma Chengquan and Li Yuyi.
Liu Jun's career has been focused on professional soccer, and he has been particularly influential in the Jiangsu soccer field, having served as General Manager of Jiangsu Suning Football Club and Vice President of Suning Sports Group.
The fall of Liu Jun, perhaps will trigger a new round of investigation of Suning soccer related personnel. Everything remains to be further observed and confirmed by authoritative sources.
It is worth mentioning that Liu Jun's resume also records his experience as CEO of Serie A giants Inter Milan. His background of studying abroad should have allowed him to have a deeper understanding of international soccer, but in the end, he failed to gain a firm foothold in this hurdle.
