Former China national football coach Li Tie has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery, marking a significant development in the country’s ongoing crackdown on corruption within the sport.
Li, who also played as a midfielder for Everton in the English Premier League, was found guilty of accepting and offering bribes totaling approximately 120 million yuan (£13.2 million) between 2015 and 2021.
The Xianning Intermediate People’s Court in Hubei province determined that Li exploited his positions—including his tenure as head coach of the national team from January 2020 to December 2021—to influence player selections and match outcomes in exchange for financial gain.
He also facilitated club victories and player signings during his time with local clubs such as Hebei China Fortune and Wuhan Zall.
Li Tie, the former head coach of China’s national men’s football team, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery on Friday.https://t.co/WA3yffvdF3
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) December 13, 2024
Li’s sentencing is part of a broader anti-corruption campaign led by President Xi Jinping, which has targeted numerous high-profile figures in Chinese football.
In March, former Chinese Football Association (CFA) president Chen Xuyuan received a life sentence for accepting bribes worth over 81 million yuan (£8.9 million).
Additionally, several CFA officials have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight to 14 years for similar offences.
The crackdown has also extended to players, with the CFA imposing lifetime bans on 38 players and five club officials following a two-year investigation into match-fixing and gambling. The probe revealed that 120 matches had been manipulated, involving 41 football clubs.
Li Tie, the former head coach of China’s national soccer team, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on an extensive list of bribery charges.
The 2022 investigation into Li kicked off a broad campaign against corruption in Chinese sports, and subsequently opened… pic.twitter.com/f2fIzlaZ4M
— Caixin Global (@caixin) December 13, 2024
Li Tie, 47, earned 92 caps for China and was part of the squad that competed in the country’s sole World Cup appearance in 2002.
His playing career included stints with Everton and Sheffield United in the Premier League before transitioning into coaching roles within China. In a televised confession earlier this year, Li expressed remorse, stating, “I’m very sorry. I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path.” He acknowledged that such corrupt practices were once common in Chinese football.
This series of high-profile convictions underscores the Chinese government’s commitment to eradicating corruption from football, aiming to restore integrity and elevate the nation’s standing in the sport.
