Reports this week said Nan and two other top CFA officials - deputy chiefs Yang Yimin and Zhang Jianqiang - were taken away last Friday in Beijing for "interrogation" by police from north-eastern Liaoning province, where the probe is based. Xinhua quoted Cui as saying Wei Di, China's former head of water sports, has been named to lead Chinese soccer.
"The decision to remove Nan Yong as director and Yang Yimin as deputy director has been made as both of them are now helping the police" in the bribery and match-fixing cases, Cui was quoted as saying. None of the reports have made clear whether Nan and the other officials were suspected of wrongdoing. Zhang had been in charge of managing the referees who worked matches in the Chinese pro leagues, according to press reports.
Following widespread allegations of organised gambling, crooked referees and match-fixing, the CFA announced in late 2006 it had set up a joint task force with police to root out corruption in the sport. The allegations and misbehaviour by players have severely damaged public trust in the Chinese leagues and been blamed for dwindling attendance and frustration among fans and sponsors.