2024/11/11 by Lucie Vanwersch, Wim Hardyns · 1 voice
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Sport and Mega-Event Impacts #Sports Analytics and Performance #Sports, Gender, and Society
paper · doi:10.1080/17430437.2024.2424546
openalex publication_date 2024/11/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
We conducted an in‑depth single case study of one of the largest fraud scandals in the history of football: the Belgian Zheyun Ye case. In 2004–2006, a Chinese businessman gained influence over Belgian professional football clubs for the purpose of fixing matches and betting on the outcome of these matches. Using a mixed‑methods design, we studied the harms (i.e. psychological, physical, material, reputational) that were experienced by individuals and organisations in the aftermath of the case. For this purpose, we collected data in court documents (n = 41.547 pages), open sources, and semi‑structured interviews (n = 7) with a number of (in)directly involved actors in this case. The case Zheyun Ye is both unique and symptomatic of the state of Belgian football and sports betting in the years 2000s. We show through our findings that it had widespread and serious consequences for certain actors, although football remains a highly resilient economic sector.