Xie Yalong arrives at the Dandong Intermediate People's Court in Dandong, Northeast China's Liaoning province, April 24, 2012. [Photo/CFP]

DANDONG, Liaoning province - Former Chinese Football Association (CFA) chief Xie Yalong stood trial for taking bribes in a northeastern Chinese court on Tuesday morning.

The Dandong Intermediate People's Court started the trial of the 56-year-old Xie at 9:00 am, who had been the CFA chief for three years before handing the job to Nan Yong.

Nan will also stand trial on bribe-taking charges in a different court in Liaoning province on Wednesday.

Xie and Nan are the highest ranking officials caught in China's ever-widening crackdown on soccer corruption, which has brought down dozens of high-ranking soccer officials, referees and players.

Four former Chinese internationals - Shen Si, Qi Hong, Jiang Jin and Li Ming - will be tried on bribe-taking charges on Wednesday in Shenyang, Liaoning's provincial capital.

The Dandong court on Tuesday also opened trials of Wei Shaohui, former manager of the Chinese national soccer team, and Li Dongsheng, former head of the CFA's referee committee.