Chen Xuyuan elected new president of Chinese Football Association

Chen Xuyuan was elected president of Chinese Football Association (CFA) at its 11th membership conference at the Xianghe National Football Training Center in Hebei Province on Thursday, with three experienced football professionals voted as vice presidents.

The 63-year-old Chen, formerly president of Shanghai International Port Group, which owns the Chinese Super League (CSL) club Shanghai SIPG, has been working as head of the preparation team for the CFA election since May 24 this year.

Newly appointed Chinese Football Association President Chen Xuyuan speaks during the 11th membership conference at the Xianghe National Football Training Center in Hebei Province on Aug 22, 2019. [Photo: IC]

Du Zhaocai, Gao Hongbo and Sun Wen were named CFA vice presidents.

Du, 59, serves as deputy minister of China's State General Administration of Sport, and is also a FIFA council member and AFC Referees Committee chairman. He has been working in the CFA since July 2017.

Gao, 53, is a former Chinese international footballer, and has twice served as the head coach of the Chinese men's national team, from 2009 to 2011 and again in 2016.

Sun, 46, was the captain of the Chinese women's national team and voted FIFA Female Player of the Century in 2000. She now serves as director of the women's youth training department of the CFA.

In addition to the new president and vice presidents, the new 35-member executive committee elected by the conference includes representatives from CSL clubs, media, schools, local football associations and other football-related sectors.

The new leadership of China's football governing body has vowed to carry out the football reform plan published by Chinese government in 2015, in which the country would aim to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the short-term, and become a footballing powerhouse by 2050 in the long-term.