Li Tie, a former star of the Chinese national men’s soccer team and once its head coach, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption, CNN reports, citing Chinese state media.
The 47-year-old’s conviction marks the highest-profile case in a sweeping crackdown on graft within Chinese professional soccer.
Li, who played in the English Premier League for Everton alongside Wayne Rooney in the early 2000s, was found guilty of multiple counts of bribery by a Wuhan court. State broadcaster CCTV reported that prosecutors accused him of accepting over 50 million yuan (approximately $6.8 million USD) in bribes between 2019 and 2021, during his tenure as national team coach and manager of the national select team.
The bribes, according to prosecutors, were exchanged for favors such as player selection for the national team and match-fixing to benefit certain clubs. The court also heard that Li and his then-club orchestrated a 3 million yuan ($412,800 USD) bribe to secure him the head coaching position. Prosecutors further alleged match-fixing at two Chinese league clubs Li coached between 2015 and 2019.
Li’s conviction comes amid a broader anti-corruption investigation launched in 2022 following China’s disappointing World Cup qualifying elimination. The investigation has already ensnared several soccer officials, including Chen Xuyuan, the former head of the Chinese Football Association, who received a life sentence in March. Li was the first among about a dozen soccer officials to be ensnared in the crackdown.
In a documentary aired by CCTV in January, prior to his trial, Li expressed remorse, stating he “deeply regretted” his actions. While Li’s confession was aired before his trial, China’s Communist Party-controlled courts boast a conviction rate exceeding 99 percent.
Li, a national icon and considered one of the best Chinese players of his generation, made history in 2002 as one of the first Chinese players to feature in the English Premier League. His 29 appearances for Everton during his debut season, alongside Rooney and Joseph Yobo, cemented his legendary status in China. He also represented China at the 2002 World Cup.
Despite initial hopes that Li could lead the national team to future World Cup success, he resigned in 2022 amidst widespread fan criticism over the team’s poor performance.
