Li Tie, former Everton player and Chinese national team coach, received a 20-year prison sentence in Wuhan for bribery and match-fixing. The court found him guilty of accepting bribes totaling 50 million yuan (US$6.8 million) between 2019 and 2021.

As national team coach, Li selected specific players and influenced match outcomes in exchange for bribes. He also fixed games while coaching Chinese league clubs from 2015 to 2019 and bribed officials to secure his position as national team coach.

Li was one of only five Chinese players to compete in the English Premier League, playing as a defensive midfielder for Everton during the 2002-03 season. He made 92 appearances for China's national team and scored six goals.

In a state television documentary about soccer corruption, Li expressed remorse: "I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path. These practices became a habit, and eventually, I started to rely on it."

The sentence comes amid China's broader crackdown on soccer corruption:

• Chen Xuyuan, former head of China's soccer association, received a life sentence in March 2023
• 43 professionals received lifetime bans in September 2023
• 17 additional officials received five-year suspensions
• A two-year investigation revealed widespread gambling and match-fixing

This corruption scandal has impeded President Xi Jinping's 2015 vision of transforming China into a soccer superpower. Currently, the Chinese national team ranks last in its World Cup qualifying group, highlighting the sport's ongoing challenges in the country.

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