Former Chinese national football team coach and prominent player Li Tie has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery, Chinese state media reported on Friday, December 13. The 47-year-old, who once graced the English Premier League with stints at Everton and Sheffield United, was convicted of accepting bribes totaling more than 110 million yuan (US$15.1 million).

From Football Stardom to Scandal

Li began his football career at the age of 15, playing for Liaoning FC’s youth academy before earning nearly 100 caps for China’s national team. At the peak of his playing career, Li secured high-profile transfers to UK clubs Everton and Sheffield United, showcasing his talent on an international stage. Following his retirement as a player, Li transitioned into coaching and served as China’s national team head coach from January 2020 to December 2021.

However, Li’s career took a dark turn as he faced a lengthy corruption trial in Hubei province. Prosecutors revealed that Li had accepted over 50 million yuan (US$6.8 million) in bribes between 2019 and 2021 while serving as the national team’s coach. Li’s downfall is part of a broader crackdown on corruption in China’s sports industry under President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign.

Widespread Corruption in Chinese Football

Li’s conviction is not an isolated case. The Chinese football industry has been rocked by a series of corruption scandals. Earlier this week, three former officials from the Chinese Football Association (CFA) were also sentenced for bribery. Liu Yi, the CFA’s former secretary general, received an 11-year sentence and a fine of 3.6 million yuan. Tan Hai, ex-head of the CFA’s referee management department, was jailed for six and a half years and fined 200,000 yuan. Qi Jun, former chief of strategic planning for the CFA, was sentenced to seven years and fined 600,000 yuan. In March, former CFA chief Chen Xuyuan was handed a life sentence for accepting bribes.

Xi Jinping’s Football Vision Faces Setbacks

President Xi Jinping, an avid football fan, has long expressed ambitions to transform China into a global football powerhouse capable of winning the FIFA World Cup. Despite significant investments in the sport, the national teams have struggled to achieve success on the international stage, leading to growing frustration among fans. The corruption scandals have further tarnished the sport’s image and derailed efforts to rebuild.

Li Tie’s Confession

Li’s involvement in bribery was highlighted in a CCTV documentary exploring corruption in Chinese football. In the documentary, Li admitted to arranging 3 million yuan in bribes to secure his head coach position. He also confessed to engaging in match-fixing during his playing days, despite initially disapproving of such practices. “There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football,” Li said. “Once you achieve success in the wrong way, you become more and more desperate for more success.”

Public Reaction

Li’s sentencing has sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media platforms, particularly Sina Weibo, where the news quickly became the top trending topic. Many users expressed shock and disappointment at the fall of a once-revered football figure.

“How greedy were you? (This is) second to life imprisonment,” one user commented, criticizing Li for betraying the sport’s values. Another lamented the missed opportunity during Li’s tenure, claiming the national team was at its most promising state for World Cup qualification. “Only 20 years? Li ruined the player lineup that (our) country had invested billions in,” a fan remarked.

A Bleak Future for Chinese Football?

Li Tie’s downfall underscores the challenges facing Chinese football as it grapples with corruption and underperformance. While President Xi’s vision for a football renaissance remains unfulfilled, fans are left questioning how long it will take for the sport in China to recover from its current state. As the anti-corruption campaign continues, the hope is that such measures will pave the way for a brighter, cleaner future for Chinese football.

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