Former China national team coach jailed for $16M bribery scandal

Former Everton midfielder and ex-China international Li Tie has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery, marking a significant development in China’s anti-corruption campaign in football.

Li, who made 34 Premier League appearances for Everton between 2002 and 2006, served as head coach of the Chinese national team from 2019 to 2021. Earlier this year, he admitted to fixing matches, accepting bribes, and offering bribes to secure his position as head coach, according to talkSPORT.

The 47-year-old pleaded guilty in March to accepting over $16 million in bribes. His misconduct spanned several years, beginning during his tenure as assistant coach at Hebei China Fortune Club in 2015 and continuing until his resignation as China’s head coach in 2021.

In return for the bribes, Li reportedly influenced national team selections and helped certain football clubs achieve competitive success.

Li’s sentencing is part of a broader anti-corruption drive led by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which has targeted corruption within the sports industry. Earlier this week, three former officials from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) also received prison sentences for bribery.

Li’s confessions were featured in an anti-corruption documentary aired by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV earlier this year, where he admitted to his offenses.

“I’m very sorry. I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path,” he said.

“There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football.”

He had made 92 appearances for China and played at the Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup, his country’s only appearance in the tournament so far.