Li Tie, a former player for Everton and head coach of China’s men’s national football team, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on corruption charges. The verdict, announced Friday by state media agency Xinhua, follows a prolonged trial amid a sweeping crackdown on corruption within Chinese football.
The 47-year-old football icon pleaded guilty earlier this year to accepting more than $10 million in bribes. During a state broadcast documentary, Li confessed to orchestrating bribes totaling $421,000 to secure his appointment as head coach of the national team and admitted to fixing matches during his tenure in the Chinese Super League.
“I’m very sorry,” Li said during the programme. “I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path. There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football.”
Part of a Broader Anti-Corruption Drive
Li’s sentencing comes as part of President Xi Jinping’s decade-long campaign against corruption, which expanded to the sports industry in late 2022. This week alone, multiple former football administrators have faced convictions, reflecting the breadth of the investigation.
Li served as China’s head coach from January 2020 to December 2021 and was one of the most high-profile figures in Chinese football, having also played as a midfielder in the English Premier League.
Impact on Chinese Football
The crackdown has cast a harsh spotlight on the integrity of football in China. Once seen as a promising figure for the sport’s growth in the country, Li’s fall from grace underscores the systemic corruption that has plagued Chinese football.
Authorities have signaled their commitment to rooting out malpractice within the sport, with the hope that these actions will lead to a cleaner and more transparent environment moving forward.
