Guangzhou GPC and Chengdu Blades - two of the nation's top-flight soccer league clubs - will be relegated to the second division, the Chinese Football Association's (CFA) disciplinary committee announced yesterday.

Related readings:  New soccer leader named in scandal-rocked CFA  New soccer chief: I will resign if I fail  New boss vows to revive China's football in 5 years  Three football association officials fired

Also, second-division club Qingdao Hailifeng has been disqualified.

The three teams were found involved in match fixing and gambling. The teams have the right to appeal but the mountain of evidence unearthed during the nationwide crackdown on gambling means they have little chance of succeeding.

CFA officials said 16 teams will still play in the new Chinese Super League season but the two replacements have not been disclosed.

The relegations and disqualification are the biggest punishment meted out in the nation's soccer league history.

"We were mentally prepared for such punishment," said Guangzhou head coach Peng Weiguo. "We will fight on."

China Daily