Two top-rate Chinese football clubs have been demoted to the second division after club officials were found guilty of match-fixing and illegal gambling, the China Daily reported on Tuesday.

According to a statement released by China’s Football Association (CFA), Guangzhou GPC and Chengdu Blades have been demoted to the second division, and second division team Qingdao Hailifeng has been disqualified entirely and fined 200,000 yuan (30,000 dollars).

Guangzhou GPC was found guilty of bribery in August and September of 2006, while the Chengdu Blades allegedly paid bribes in September of 2007, the statement read, without any additional details.

The statement did add however, that the teams would have the opportunity to appeal the decision.

“We were mentally prepared for such punishment,” the China Daily quoted Guangzhou head Coach Peng Weiguo as saying. “We will fight on.”

The president of Chengdu Blades, owned by English Championship side Sheffield United, was arrested last month during a recent probe on match-fixing in the country.

The CFA said that 16 teams would still play in the new Chinese Super League season, though replacements have yet to be named. The season is set to beginning on March 20, but ongoing police investigations could halt those plans, officials have said.

Miss B says: The recent investigation into match-fixing comes amid calls by top Communist Party officials to rid the professional game of corruption in country. China has long been downplayed as a nation with loose regulation when it comes to professional football, but now it seems that the government is ready to take action. To date, more than 20 officials arrested or detained, including the CFA's former chief Nan Yong.