Ref fixed Man Utd tie

Sporting News Logo

Chinese referee Huang Junjie has admitted that he was paid to fix a friendly involving Manchester United.

Huang confessed in court to taking bribes for eight games in total, one of which was United's 6-0 victory over Shenzhen FC in 2007 in a club friendly in Macau.

One of the other matches included Sydney FC's clash against Shanghai Shenhua almost three years ago.

It has not been claimed that either side were involved in or aware of the match-fixing.

The official's revelations have come as a result of hearings into the alleged corruption of some of key figures within the Chinese game, including the former head of the Chinese Super League, Zhang Jianqiang.

Over 60 coaches, players, referees, and other officials are facing charges of match-fixing and bribery after a two-year investigation into the country's domestic football scene.

As well as match-fixing, some senior Chinese Football Association (CFA) members also stand accused of accepting payments from players wanting to be called up to the national team.

Author(s)