Chinese Netizens Fume at Soccer Star Guo Tianyu’s Comments on Match-Fixing Wrap

Chinese netizens have reacted with fury after Guo Tianyu, a former Chinese Super League star who was banned for life for match-fixing last year, appeared to downplay his wrongdoings on a livestream.

Guo went live on a Chinese social media platform earlier this week, his first appearance on screen since his lifetime ban from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) on September 10.

During the stream, the soccer star was relatively calm, and netizens complained that he seemed unapologetic about his behavior.

Guo Tianyu: An ‘Unrepentant’ Attitude?

The CFA stunned the sporting world in September last year when it revealed the results of a two-year probe into match-fixing, bribery, and online sports gambling.

The association discovered that 120 matches in domestic leagues had been compromised, with 41 clubs involved or affected.

The CFA banned 38 players, including Guo Tianyu and his former Shandong Taishan FC teammate Jin Jingdao.

Before his ban, Jin made 18 appearances for the Chinese men’s national team, with Guo tipped by many to become a rising star of Chinese soccer.

Guo rose through the ranks at Shandong Taishan, scoring 17 goals for the senior team, as well as six for the Chinese Under-20 national team.

The older Jin, who joined Shandong Taishan in 2013, reportedly played a key role in convincing others at the club to join him in match-fixing and betting schemes.

These include the South Korean soccer player Son Jun-ho, another former Shandong Taishan player, who also received a CFA ban in 2024.

A ‘Little Act of Gambling’

The media outlet Sportal Korea quoted Guo as stating, during the livestream, that he “does not blame Jin” for what happened.

Guo also said that he “did not betray Shandong Taishan,” and only indulged in a “little act of gambling” that could “never have harmed Taishan.”

However, these comments and his generally relaxed attitude during the livestream appear to have irked many Shandong Taishan fans.

A popular Chinese blogger on the Sohu platform wrote: “[Guo] didn’t blame Jin Jingdao for leading him astray, nor did he express remorse. His attitude has disappointed many fans.”

In the comments section of the livestream, netizens were more scathing still, accusing him of squandering his once-promising career in exchange for a “relatively small amount of money.”

Another wrote: “As you still don’t know how to reflect on what you have done, it seems that your lifetime ban was an appropriate punishment.”

From 2021 Highs to Free Agency

Guo’s Chinese Super League breakout season came during Shandong Taishan’s CSL-winning 2021 season, when he became the first China-born player to score 10 goals in the league.

His potential caught the eye of European clubs, with the Portuguese club FC Vizela signing him on a short loan spell.

But Son’s testimony, leaked to the Chinese press in early 2025, further soured fans’ opinions on the matter.

According to the testimony, Jin told Son and Guo to “run slowly” and “refrain from scoring” ahead of a January 2022 match versus Shanghai Haigang.

“After giving the matter a lot of thought, I agreed, and Jin Jingdao and Guo Tianyu also didn’t attack aggressively,” Son allegedly said.

The match ended as a 2-2 draw, “and two days later, Jin Jingdao transferred 200,000 yuan (currently $28,030) to my bank account,” Son reportedly told Chinese investigators.

Guo has since attempted to resurrect his career in the Thai pro league, signing with Chiangrai United for the 2024-2025 season.

However, he failed to score or register an assist in just 584 minutes of action over the season. Chiangrai released him as a free agent in June, leaving him currently without a club.

Earlier this month, a court in Australia handed out conditional release orders to two former Macarthur Bulls soccer stars, Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis.

The court ruled that the duo took payments worth $6,600 in exchange for deliberately receiving yellow cards in pro soccer games.

A Japanese A-League player and an acquaintance also pleaded guilty to similar charges in August this year.