China sentences former national football coach to 20 years in prison for bribery

The former coach of the Chinese men’s national soccer team has received a 20-year-prison sentence for bribery, Chinese state media reported Friday.

Li Tie, who played as a midfielder for Everton in the English Premier League, managed the Chinese team between January 2020 and December 2021.

The 47-year-old was sentenced at a court in the province of Hubei, after being found guilty of a string of offences relating to giving and receiving bribes.

He was accused of “leveraging his positions” as head coach of the national football and national selection team to receive bribes of about $7 million.

Li, who was one of China’s best known players from his time, was also charged with taking bribes between 2015 to 2019, when he worked for local football clubs.

In exchange for them, the court said, Li would select certain individuals for the national team, as well as help clubs win competitions and sign up players.

The investigation into Li’s conduct began in November 2022. He pleaded guilty to bribery and corruption in March of this year.

His sentencing is the latest in a series of high-profile corruption cases involving Chinese football.

The sport in China has grappled with match-fixing and graft scandals for over two decades with local fans blaming corruption for the national team’s continuing poor performance.

In March, the former president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), Chen Xuyuan, was sentenced to life in prison for bribery.

Earlier this week, three other CFA officials received prison sentences for bribery, according to state media.