A former Chinese soccer star and coach, Li Tie, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption. Li, who played for the English Premier League Everton in the early 2000s, is the latest casualty in China's crackdown on corruption in professional soccer.
Despite efforts to elevate China's soccer status on the global stage, the sport has been plagued by financial mismanagement, corruption, and underwhelming performance. Following China's disappointing elimination in the preliminary stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, an investigation into bribery and match-fixing was launched.
Li, accused of accepting over $6.8 million in bribes while serving as the head coach of China's national team, was found guilty of multiple counts of bribery. Prosecutors revealed that Li manipulated player selections and match outcomes in exchange for bribes.
Furthermore, it was disclosed that Li secured his coaching role by arranging bribes totaling $412,800. He was also implicated in match-fixing scandals during his tenure with Chinese league clubs between 2015 and 2019.
Li, once a revered figure in Chinese soccer, expressed remorse for his actions in a documentary aired prior to his trial. He admitted to succumbing to the allure of shortcuts and quick success, leading him down a path of corruption.
China's Communist Party-controlled courts have a high conviction rate, and it is common for confessions to be broadcast before trials in high-profile cases. Li, a standout player in his era, made history as one of the first Chinese players in the English Premier League and represented China at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Despite his initial success, Li's coaching career was marred by controversy and scandal, culminating in his resignation amid public backlash over the national team's poor performance in World Cup qualifiers.
The sentencing of Li Tie underscores China's commitment to eradicating corruption in professional soccer and serves as a cautionary tale for those who seek to compromise the integrity of the sport.
