In a striking development within the world of sports governance, Li Tie, the former head coach of the Chinese national men's football team, has received a hefty 20-year prison sentence for his involvement in bribery and match-fixing activities, as reported by state media. Li, who once made a splash playing for Everton in the English Premier League, confessed to manipulating games and accepting over $16 million in illicit payments throughout his coaching tenure.
China's Former National Football Coach Sentenced to 20 Years for Bribery
China's Former National Football Coach Sentenced to 20 Years for Bribery
Li Tie, the ex-coach, admits to match-fixing and bribery in a sign of ongoing anti-corruption efforts.
The court’s verdict sheds light on the broader anti-corruption campaign championed by President Xi Jinping, which has begun to infiltrate various sectors including sports, banking, and the military. Earlier in the week, a trio of former officials from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) also faced jail time for corruption, with investigations extending to more coaches and players as part of a widespread crackdown.
Li's misdeeds were said to date back to 2015, when he was an assistant at the Hebei China Fortune Club, and continued until his exit from the national team in December 2021. He allegedly selected players for the national squad and aided clubs in clinching victories in exchange for bribes, actions he later apologized for in an anti-corruption documentary aired by CCTV. "I'm very sorry. I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path," he remarked, noting the malpractices were rampant in football at the time.
Li, who had 92 caps for the Chinese national team and represented the nation in the significant 2002 World Cup, is among several high-profile figures in Chinese football recently convicted of corruption. His former superior, the CFA president Chen Xuyuan, received a life sentence earlier this year for taking bribes amounting to $11 million.
Xi's earlier aspirations to establish China as a formidable football power have been severely undermined by recent developments, as the string of detentions serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle against corruption in the sport. This latest wave of anti-graft measures is reminiscent of a similar effort a decade ago, laying bare the persistent challenges within Chinese football amidst a landscape of growing monetary stakes. As noted by Rowan Simons, author of "Bamboo Goalposts," the current campaign appears much like its predecessor, albeit with significantly higher financial implications.
Li's misdeeds were said to date back to 2015, when he was an assistant at the Hebei China Fortune Club, and continued until his exit from the national team in December 2021. He allegedly selected players for the national squad and aided clubs in clinching victories in exchange for bribes, actions he later apologized for in an anti-corruption documentary aired by CCTV. "I'm very sorry. I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path," he remarked, noting the malpractices were rampant in football at the time.
Li, who had 92 caps for the Chinese national team and represented the nation in the significant 2002 World Cup, is among several high-profile figures in Chinese football recently convicted of corruption. His former superior, the CFA president Chen Xuyuan, received a life sentence earlier this year for taking bribes amounting to $11 million.
Xi's earlier aspirations to establish China as a formidable football power have been severely undermined by recent developments, as the string of detentions serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle against corruption in the sport. This latest wave of anti-graft measures is reminiscent of a similar effort a decade ago, laying bare the persistent challenges within Chinese football amidst a landscape of growing monetary stakes. As noted by Rowan Simons, author of "Bamboo Goalposts," the current campaign appears much like its predecessor, albeit with significantly higher financial implications.
