BEIJING - The former chief of China's national soccer association Chen Xuyuan has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes, state media reported on Tuesday, following one of the biggest anti-corruption probes in the sport in years.

The severe sentence for Chen, 67, concludes a probe into high-level soccer officials in China in a sport that has long grappled with corruption, which fans have blamed for the perpetual underperformance of the national team.