The law enforcement and sports departments held a news conference in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Tuesday releasing the results of their crackdown on match fixing, betting and biased refereeing in the soccer sector, following which 83 players, referees, coaches and club managers were detained and 34 among them were given prison sentences.

This is not the first crackdown against corruption in the domestic soccer sector. Since the early 1990s several corruption cases have emerged in the domestic soccer sector, with soccer players, officials, coaches and judges all being involved. The crackdown was much needed considering that corruption is largely responsible for where Chinese soccer stands today.

Among the problems in the domestic soccer sector, one must be the lack of real professionalism despite the reform that started in 1993. Clubs were formed, but power and responsibility were not clearly earmarked between clubs and multiple soccer associations, with the latter still having too big a say in organizing matches. In some sense, it is the huge power soccer officials wield that prompts them to abuse it and end up in jail. Besides, China does not have a mature youth training system in soccer.

Until and unless all Chinese students, and not just professional sport school students, play soccer, or, until Chinese soccer players can play for world-class clubs, Chinese soccer will not rise.