May 1 – The severe consequences of corruption in Chinese football have been underscored as former national team head coach Li Tie has lost his appeal against a 20-year prison sentence for bribery offenses, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.
Li, 47, who enjoyed a playing career that included a stint with Everton in the Premier League, was placed under investigation for “serious violations of laws” in 2024. The former midfielder, who represented China 92 times including at the 2002 World Cup, made a dramatic televised confession detailing his involvement in match-fixing schemes.
One of China’s most respected football figures, Li admitted to paying three million yuan (approximately £331,000; $418,500) in bribes to secure his position as national team head coach. He further confessed that his success in guiding both Hebei China Fortune and Wuhan Zall to promotion to the Chinese Super League was achieved through match-fixing arrangements.
“I am very sorry,” Li stated during his confession. “I should have kept my head down and followed the right path. There were certain things that were customary in football at the time.”
In December 2024, Li appealed to the High Court seeking a reduced sentence but, after reviewing the case, the court upheld the original verdict, effectively ending the football career of the once-celebrated player and coach.
Li’s case is part of a broader pattern of corruption that has plagued Chinese football for decades. Despite attracting high-profile international players with enormous salaries in the 2010s, the Chinese Super League has been marred by numerous match-fixing and bribery scandals and in 2024 the Chinese Football Association banned 38 players and five club officials for life after a two-year investigation into match-fixing and gambling. The investigation, part of a crackdown on corruption in the sport, found that 120 matches had been fixed, with 41 clubs involved, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
The government’s anti-corruption drive intensified in recent years, with investigations targeting various levels of Chinese football. This has coincided with the financial collapse of several high-spending clubs, including the dramatic downfall of real estate giant Evergrande, which owned the once-dominant Guangzhou FC (formerly Guangzhou Evergrande).
Li’s harsh sentence reflects the Chinese authorities’ determination to clean up the sport, though critics question whether these high-profile prosecutions address the systematic issues underlying corruption in Chinese football.
Contact the write of this story, Paul Nicholson, at moc.l1746115091labto1746115091ofdlr1746115091owedi1746115091sni@o1746115091fni1746115091
