A former Chinese soccer star and national team coach, Li Tie, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption, state media reported on Friday.
Li, 47, who once played for Everton in the English Premier League alongside Wayne Rooney in the early 2000s, is the most prominent figure to face punishment in China’s extensive crackdown on corruption within its professional soccer league.
Li’s downfall is part of an anti-graft campaign launched by China’s government, which has targeted bribery and match-fixing in the sport.
Despite President Xi Jinping’s aspirations to make China a global soccer powerhouse, the country’s professional soccer has struggled with financial mismanagement, widespread corruption, and lackluster results.
The investigation gained momentum after China’s national men’s team performed poorly in the preliminary stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Li was the first of several high-ranking soccer officials implicated in the scandal. Earlier this year, Chen Xuyuan, the former head of China’s soccer association, received a life sentence for corruption.
On Friday, a court in Wuhan convicted Li of multiple counts of bribery. According to state broadcaster CCTV, prosecutors accused him of accepting over 50 million yuan (approximately $6.8 million) in bribes between 2019 and 2021, during his tenure as the national team head coach. He was found guilty of granting favors to players and clubs in return for the bribes, including selecting certain players for the national team and influencing match outcomes.
Prosecutors also revealed that Li and a club he previously coached had arranged 3 million yuan (approximately $412,800) in bribes to secure his appointment as the national team coach. Additionally, he was accused of fixing matches for two clubs he coached in Chinese leagues between 2015 and 2019.
In a state television documentary aired earlier this year, Li expressed deep regret for his actions. “When I was a player, I despised those who fixed matches,” he said. “But as a coach, I saw it as a shortcut to success. It became a habit, and I eventually relied on it.”
Li is remembered as one of the most talented Chinese soccer players of his generation. In 2002, he made history as one of the first Chinese players to compete in the English Premier League. That year, he also represented China at the FIFA World Cup, the nation’s only appearance in the prestigious tournament.
His promising career in England was cut short by injuries, prompting his return to China in 2008 after a stint with Sheffield United. Many fans hoped Li would replicate his on-field success as a coach when he was appointed head coach of China’s national team in 2020. However, his tenure ended in disappointment, with the team failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and facing widespread criticism.
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