Former Chinese coach, Li Tie sentenced to life in prison for match-fixing

Li Tie, the former head coach of China’s men’s football national team who previously played in the English Premier League for Everton and Sheffield United, has been charged with several counts of suspected bribery. Last November it had been announced that the former midfielder had been accused of “serious violations of the law” by state prosecutors. Formal charges have now been filed following an investigation in the central Chinese province of Hubei. It comes amid a widening crackdown on alleged corruption in Chinese football. In January, it reached the top of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) as Chen Yongliang, the body’s executive deputy secretary general, and Liu Yi, its secretary general, were placed under investigation for suspected “severe violation of the law”. And in May, South Korea international Son Jun-ho, who plays in China for Shandong Taishan, was arrested while trying to leave the country and detained on suspicion of accepting bribes.

A statement from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate – the country’s top agency overseeing prosecution – said: “Li Tie, the former head coach of the Chinese national men’s football team, was suspected of accepting bribes, offering bribes, offering bribes at the unit, accepting bribes of non-state employees, and offering bribes to non-state employees.

“The investigation was completed by the Chibi City Supervision Committee and Chibi Public Security Bureau of Hubei province. The investigation was completed and transferred.”

It added that prosecutors in the city of Xianning had been designated by the provincial prosecutor’s office to handle the case.

Mainland Chinese media had indicated that Li – who represented his country at the 2002 Fifa World Cup before serving as coach between January 2020 and December 2021 – was cooperating with the inquiry following his initial arrest last year. The 46-year-old was reportedly transferred to a detention centre in May. Li lost his job as China head coach following a dismal start to the third round of qualifying for the 2022 Fifa World Cup. He previously managed Hebei China Fortune and Wuhan Zall. One of the foremost Chinese footballers of his generation, Li made global headlines when he joined Everton from Liaoning FC in 2002.

He spent four years at Goodison Park, playing alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney and Duncan Ferguson. Li then spent two further years in England with Sheffield United before returning to China with Chengdu Blades in 2008. After the CFA was plagued by accusations during a concerted campaign to identify and eradicate corruption, the General Administration of Sport of China confirmed in April that it had set up a seven-member working group to lead the association, headed by academic Li Yingchuan.