ISTANBUL

A court in China's Hubei province sentenced on Tuesday former head of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) Chen Xuyuan to life imprisonment for accepting bribes, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The Huangshi Intermediate People's Court said Chen, 67, took advantage of his various posts from 2010 to 2023 to help others in matters including project contracting, investment, and sporting event arrangements.

In return, he accepted money and valuables worth over 81 million yuan ($11 million).

He has been deprived of political rights, and his property will be confiscated, while the illegal gains will be recovered and given to the state treasury.

Appointed as the president of the federation in 2019, Chen was arrested last February on corruption charges.