London: FIFA has confirmed that those suspended for match-fixing and bribery in China had had their bans extended to "worldwide effect".
A total of 58 people in the country were handed the initial punishments in 2010, with 25 receiving five-year suspensions while the remaining 33 were handed life-bans from the game, though initially exclusively to China.
"Fifa can today confirm the extension of disciplinary sanctions to 58 individuals relating to domestic match-fixing and bribery investigations in China PR that date back to 2010," it read.
"The Chairman of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee has extended the sanctions to have worldwide effect in accordance with article 78 paragraph 1(c) and article 136ff of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.
"This follows investigations and trials conducted by Chinese judicial authorities between 2010 and 2012 in which the Chinese Football Association (CFA) cooperated fully. The cases involved relate to incidents of match-fixing that took place in the 1990s and early 2000s.
"In taking those sanctions and notifying Fifa of them, the CFA has emphasised its on-going commitment to stamping out all forms of match-fixing and corruption in the game."
Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua - the former club of Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba - were stripped of their 2003 title after being found guilty of match-fixing earlier this month, and were handed a €120,000 fine and a six-point deduction for the current campaign.
Earlier this month, a special report from Europol revealed that 380 suspicious matches across the world were under investigation, with a criminal syndicate based in Singapore thought to be at the heart of the problem.
Goal.com
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.