Former Premier League Star Li Tie Sentenced to 20 Years for Bribery as China’s Anti-Corruption Drive Targets Football
Li Tie, a prominent figure in Chinese football and former coach of the men’s national team, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a bribery scandal. This high-profile case marks a significant moment in the Chinese government’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption in the sports sector, a campaign that has intensified under President Xi Jinping’s administration over the past decade.
On Friday, a court located in Hubei province issued a ruling against the 47-year-old Li, citing multiple offenses related to accepting and soliciting bribes during his tenure as national team coach from January 2020 to December 2021. Previously a well-respected midfielder for Everton in the English Premier League, Li used his influential position to allegedly extract approximately 51 million yuan (around $7 million) in bribes in exchange for selecting players for the national team and facilitating their club transfers.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, Li not only solicited favors to secure his role as coach of the national team in 2019 but also paid one million yuan the following year to unspecified individuals to assist with his ambitions. Additionally, during his time with the now-defunct Wuhan Zall in the Chinese Super League (CSL), he is reported to have colluded with club officials to distribute bribes that would aid his coaching aspirations.
The allegations against Li extend back to 2015, detailing how he and various clubs allegedly paid substantial amounts in bribes to finalize player transfers and manipulate match outcomes. A video shared by CCTV depicted Li in court, dressed in a black hooded sweater and accompanied by police personnel.
In a related development on the same day, another official, Du Zhaocai, the former deputy head of the General Administration of Sport, was sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined 4 million yuan for accepting over 43 million yuan in bribes over a decade-long period. The state news agency Xinhua reported that the assets obtained through these illicit activities would be confiscated and returned to state funds.
Li’s conviction was largely anticipated after he confessed to accepting more than $10 million in bribes earlier this year. He also appeared in a CCTV documentary, aired in January, which explored corruption in Chinese football. During this documentary, Li expressed regret for his actions, admitting to arranging nearly $421,000 in bribes to secure his coaching position and admitting to match-fixing practices.
This recent string of convictions reflects a broader campaign against corruption in the sports industry in China. Earlier in the week, Liu Yi, the former secretary general of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), was sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined 3.6 million yuan for his role in bribery. Two other CFA officials, Tan Hai and Qi Jun, received sentences of six and a half years and seven years, respectively, for similar offenses.
While supporters of Xi’s anti-corruption measures argue that these efforts foster transparent governance, critics contend that they serve as a means for the president to eliminate political opposition. As a noted football enthusiast, Xi has expressed a desire for China to both host and triumph in the World Cup; however, the national team has struggled historically, currently ranking 90th in the FIFA standings, just above the Caribbean nation of Curacao.
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