Details of Match-Fixing in China Fortune's Promotion to Super League Resurface: 5.83 Million Spent on Two Games, Middleman Pocketed Over 3 Million

Deep News11-14

Last year, a CCTV anti-corruption documentary revealed that Li Tie, former head coach of Hebei China Fortune Football Club (now defunct), orchestrated match-fixing to secure promotions to the Chinese Super League (CSL). In 2015, China Fortune, then competing in China League One (second tier), spent heavily to manipulate results in their favor.

New details emerged from a criminal verdict published by Chongyang County People's Court in Hubei Province on November 14. The document disclosed that in 2015, China Fortune bribed opponents to hinder key rivals Dalian Aerbin and Beijing BG during their promotion push. A middleman, Jin Mouyi, was entrusted by club executive Li Moujia to facilitate payments totaling RMB 5.835896 million ($583,589).

**Key Findings from the Verdict:** 1. **Match 1 (September 19, 2015)**: China Fortune paid RMB 1.25 million via Jin to ensure Yanbian Changbaihua drew 1-1 with Dalian Aerbin. Jin retained RMB 250,000 and gave RMB 1 million to middleman Cui Moubing. 2. **Match 2 (September 26, 2015)**: The club promised RMB 3 million for a Yanbian victory over Beijing BG. Yanbian won 5-0, but Cui never informed Yanbian’s coach Park Tae-ha about the bribe. China Fortune later wired $720,000 (RMB 4.585896 million) as a "consultancy fee," of which Jin kept $74,640 and transferred the rest to Cui’s associates.

Cui, as a witness, admitted he withheld the bribe offer from Park, believing Yanbian would win anyway. He pocketed over RMB 3 million.

**Legal Consequences:** - Jin surrendered in September 2023, confessed, and returned RMB 729,145 in illicit gains. - The court sentenced Jin to one year and nine months in prison plus a RMB 200,000 fine for attempted bribery of non-state personnel. - Cui’s illegal earnings of RMB 3.102324 million were confiscated.

**Club’s Downfall:** China Fortune renamed itself Hebei FC in 2021 but collapsed in 2023 after failing to resolve wage disputes, leading to its expulsion from professional leagues.

The case underscores systemic corruption in Chinese football, with clubs and intermediaries exploiting financial incentives to distort competition.

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