Former Everton midfielder Li Tie has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in China after confessing to extensive corruption charges involving over £12 million in bribes.
Li, a key figure in China’s football history and a participant in the nation’s only World Cup appearance in 2002, admitted to giving and receiving bribes and fixing matches during his managerial career between 2015 and 2021, as reported by Chinese state media.
The court revealed that during his tenure as manager of China’s national team, Li accepted bribes exceeding $16 million (£12.7 million) to influence player selection and manipulate match outcomes. These practices reportedly occurred while he managed clubs such as Hebei China Fortune and later, the Chinese national team, where he initially replaced Marcello Lippi as caretaker before assuming the role permanently.
In an earlier state media documentary, Li expressed remorse, stating:
“I’m very sorry. I should have kept my head down and followed the right path. There were certain things that, at the time, were common practices in football.”
Several players and coaches have been investigated, and former Chinese Football Association president Chen Xuyuan was recently sentenced to life in prison for similar offenses.
Li’s football career began in China with Liaoning before he secured a loan move to Everton, where he played a pivotal role in their 2002–03 season under manager David Moyes. Despite his promising debut, injuries plagued his subsequent campaigns. After stints with Sheffield United and a return to Chinese football, he retired as a player in 2011 to focus on coaching.
