Former Everton star, LI TIE, jailed for 20 years in China after accepting over £12 million in bribes

Sunday, December 15, 2024 - Former Everton midfielder Li Tie has been sentenced to 20 years in jail on corruption charges.

The 47-year-old, who starred for his country in their only appearance at the World Cup in 2002, confessed to both giving and receiving bribes and fixing matches between 2015 and 2021, according to Chinese state media.

The verdict comes amid a crackdown on corruption in the sport in China, with more than a dozen coaches and players investigated.

After hanging up his boots in 2011, Li moved into coaching and began his first managerial role with Hebei China Fortune in 2015.

He would later go on to serve as head coach of the country's senior national team, initially replacing Marcello Lippi as caretaker before being handed the role on a permanent basis.

The court said that between 2015 and 2021 when his stint as China manager ended, Li had accepted bribes worth in excess of $16million (£12.7m).

The bribes are said to have been given so that Li would favour certain players for selection, and fix the outcome of games.

In a documentary aired on the state media channel CCTV earlier this year, Li apologised for his role in the scandal.

'I'm very sorry,' he said. 'I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path.'

'There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football'.

The news comes after former Chinese Football Association boss Chen Xuyuan was sentenced to life in prison after taking bribes.

After beginning his career in his native country with Liaoning, Li secured a loan move to the Premier League with Everton after impressing as China reached the World Cup finals in 2022.

In his first season, he made 33 appearances in all competitions as Everton finished seventh in the top flight under David Moyes.

The move would later be made permanent, but a series of injuries limited his involvement in subsequent campaigns and he joined Sheffield United on the expiry of his deal in 2006.

Li departed the Blades after making just a single competitive appearance to return to China in 2008.