A court in China has sentenced former Everton player and coach of the Chinese national team, Li Tie, to 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of corruption and bribery related to his coaching position. This is part of the Chinese government’s campaign against corruption.
Li, one of the most famous Chinese players to have played in the English Premier League, has been under investigation since 2022 for “serious legal violations.” The judges did not provide further details at that time.
According to state media CCTV, Li was found guilty of accepting bribes totaling 110 million yuan (£11.9m) between 2015 and 2021. A photo published by state media showed Li in court wearing a black shirt and a cap, with police officers standing beside him.
The court in the city of Xianning has stated that Li accepted more than 50 million yuan (£5.4m) in bribes while he was the coach of the Chinese national team from 2019 to 2021.
He was accused of using those bribes to select specific players for the national team and to assist teams in winning competitions and signing players.
Li, who is 47 years old, appeared in a court in Hubei province in March, where he confessed to crimes related to accepting bribes and attempting to corrupt sports.
“I am sorry. I need to lower my head and walk the right path,” Li said during an interview in a documentary aired by CCTV in January. “Certain things that were happening in football at that time were common.”
He stated that he organized nearly £330,954 in bribes to secure the position of national team coach, and that he was involved in attempts at corruption while he was the coach of a football team.
