Li Tie, former Premier League star, and ex-China national football coach, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery as part of China’s ongoing crackdown on sports corruption. Li, who once played for Everton and earned nearly 100 international caps, was found guilty of accepting bribes totaling over US$10 million. He used his position as coach from 2020 to 2021 to secure player selections and transfers in exchange for bribes and even paid to secure his coaching job in 2019.

The case is part of a broader government campaign against corruption in Chinese football, which has led to a series of convictions this week, including the sentencing of former Chinese Football Association officials. The crackdown, spearheaded by President Xi Jinping, aims to clean up the sport but also raises concerns about its political motivations. China’s football ranking currently sits at 90th in the world, far from Xi's goal of a World Cup win.