Two former Chinese soccer chiefs were sentenced on Wednesday to more than a decade in jail for bribery.

Nan Yong, the ex-director of the Chinese Football Administrative Center, was given a 10-and-a-half-year term by a court in the northeast city of Tieling for taking bribes worth more than 1.48 million yuan (about US$235,000) between 1999 and 2009.

Nan, who was credited with leading China into their only World Cup finals in 2002, was also fined 200,000 yuan (about US$31,340) with his illegal gains confiscated.

At a different court in Dandong city, Nan's predecessor Xie Yalong was sentenced to 10 and 1/2 years in prison for accepting bribes totaling 1.36 million yuan (about $214,000).

Xie, who claimed during April's court session that he had been tortured into confession, which was later denied by Liaoning police, was also fined 200,000 yuan ($31,340).

Nan and Xie told the courts they need to consult with their respective attorneys to decide whether to appeal the verdicts.

Meanwhile, four former soccer stars of the Shanghai International Football Club were given jail terms of five years and six months to six years today for taking bribes to fix a league game.

Shen Si was sentenced to six years behind bars and Qi Hong, Li Ming and Jiang Jin received jail terms of five years and six months each. They were each fined 500,000 yuan (US$78,489), Shenyang Intermediate People's Court in northeast China's Liaoning Province said today.

A total of 8 million yuan in bribes the four players received will be confiscated, the court said.

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