Chinese football is experiencing one of the biggest corruption crises in its historywith the recent Former national coach Li Tie sentenced to 20 years in prison. The sentence, handed down by the Intermediate People’s Court of Xianning, in Hubei province, is part of a series of investigations that have shaken the foundations of football in the Asian giant.
Li Tie, former footballer and coach, was found guilty of accepting and paying bribes, becoming the central figure in a scandal that has implicated senior officials of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and the Chinese Super League (CSL). As detailed by the court on its official WeChat account, this sentence represents another step in the purge that the Chinese authorities have initiated within the sports world, in line with the efforts of the Communist Party of China (CCP) to combat corruption in different spheres of the country.
The 46-year-old former athlete is one of the legends of Chinese football. As a defensive midfielder, he played 92 games for the national team, scoring five goals and being key in China’s qualification for its only World Cup, in 2002. His time at Everton in the Premier League positioned him as a benchmark in Asian football.although his career was frustrated by injuries. He later played for Sheffield United and returned to China in 2008 before retiring.
In 2020 he was named coach of the Chinese men’s team, after the resignation of Italian Marcelo Lippi. His time as a coach, however, was brief and controversial. During his management, which ended in December 2021 after the failure to qualify for the Qatar World Cup, Li was the subject of criticism from the media and fans, who questioned his strategy and his reluctance to call up nationalized players like the Brazilian. Elkeson. Despite his history as a player, his time on the bench was marked by general dissatisfaction.
In November 2022, Chinese authorities announced that Li was being investigated for “serious violations of the law.” The case, which initially seemed to focus on him, quickly expanded to encompass other senior Chinese soccer officials. The investigations, promoted by the General Administration for Sports, pointed to irregularities at multiple levels, including the organization of tournaments and the management of referees.
Li’s conviction is one of a series of recent sentences that have affected Chinese football. Earlier this month, former CFA Secretary-General Liu Yi was sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined 3.6 million yuan for accepting bribes (nearly half a million dollars), while former CFA director Department of Referee Management, Tan Hai, was sentenced to six and a half years. Other prominent names, such as former CSL president Ma Chengquan and former CFA vice president Li Yuyi, have also faced severe penalties.
The anti-corruption campaign undertaken by the Chinese government reflects a broader CCP strategy to ensure integrity in key sectors of the country. In the sports field, the General Administration for Sports has promised greater transparency, recognizing that recent cases have affected the credibility of the institutions in charge of promoting the development of football.
While Li’s sentence can still be appealed, his case marks a turning point in the fight against corruption in Chinese football. The authorities have made it clear that they will not tolerate irregularities, regardless of the notoriety or influence of those involved. This approach could set a precedent for oversight of other sectors in China, reinforcing the government’s message about the importance of ethics and legality.
