On May 16, the latest news revealed that the State Market Supervision Bureau received an anonymous report in March this year, alleging that China's soccer association (the "Football Association") is suspected of charging arbitrary fees.
Recently, it has been rumored that the Football Association (FA) is considering refunding the reinforcement adjustment fee to clubs. Although the FA has not yet disclosed the amount of the specific adjustment fee, according to conservative estimates, the amount may be between 1 billion and 1.5 billion.
According to Football Daily, in March 2022, the Municipal Supervisory Bureau attached great importance to the FA's anonymous report, and in light of the country's recent crackdown on the phenomenon of indiscriminate fees in the professional circle, the Municipal Supervisory Bureau on-site investigated three key issues: the necessity of the attraction and adjustment fee levied, the identity of the FA's fee and the nature of the fee.
The Football Association explained that the levy of reinforcement adjustment fee is the situation, aimed at safeguarding the overall interests of the profession, is the only effective means; the Football Association in the capacity of a professional manager to charge, is not the use of administrative power; the initial intention of the fee for charitable donations for the development of youth and public welfare soccer. The federation also added that the fee is not the purpose, the high share is designed to warn the clubs do not touch the red line, in fact, there are really many clubs did not cross the line.
The Municipal Supervisory Bureau investigated and did not take any administrative penalties against the Football Association. Given that the nature of the fees differed significantly from the Chamber of Commerce and general market mischarging practices, and the high amount of fees charged by the Football Association exceeded the Municipal Supervisory Bureau's perception of general mischarging, there was a complex intertwining between the original intent, purpose and intended goals of the fees.
