The former coach of China’s national men’s football team, Li Tie, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery, state media reports.
Once a star player for Everton in the Premier League, Li admitted earlier this year to accepting bribes of millions of dollars in return for favors.
Li Received $16 Million in Bribes
Li’s crimes spanned from 2015, when he was an assistant coach at Hebei China Fortune Club, to 2021, when he stepped down as national coach.
During this period, he accepted over $16 million in bribes to influence team selections and competitions.
In a televised confession, Li apologized and blamed “common practices” in football culture at the time.
China has cracked down on corruption hard in the past few years.
Two key figures of the Chinese Communist Party, Foreign Minister, and the Defense Minister, also recently disappeared from public view over corruption allegations.
