The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has imposed lifetime bans on 38 players and five club officials following a two-year investigation into match-fixing and gambling. The investigation, part of a broader crackdown on corruption within the sport, uncovered that 120 matches had been fixed, involving 41 clubs, according to the official Xinhua news agency. The report did not specify whether all the matches took place in China.

Former China internationals Jin Jingdao and Gu Chao, along with South Korean midfielder Son Jun-ho, were among those handed lifetime bans, as revealed in findings made public on Tuesday.

None of the players have commented publicly on the bans. Son’s agent, Park Dae-yeon, described the accusations of match-fixing as “ridiculous” and stated they would hold a press conference “to say everything we have to say.” Son, who was released in March after being detained in China for 10 months, has since returned to South Korea, where he now plays for Suwon.

The club’s sporting director, Choi Soon-ho, confirmed that they would continue to select Son unless instructed otherwise, as the CFA ruling “does not apply to us.” Choi added: “He vehemently denied bribery charges when he signed with us, and I respect that.”

Zhang Xiaopeng, a representative from the Ministry of Public Security, stated that 44 individuals face criminal penalties for bribery, gambling, and the illegal establishment of casinos, while 17 others were found guilty of bribery and match-fixing.

CFA president Song Kai announced that 43 of the 44 individuals had been banned for life from any football-related activities, with 17 others receiving five-year bans. Corruption has long plagued Chinese football, with fans often attributing the men’s national team’s underperformance to these issues.

In August, a former vice-president of the CFA was sentenced to 11 years for accepting bribes, while a former director of the competition department received a seven-year sentence for the same offence. In March, a former chairman of the CFA was sentenced to life imprisonment.