Li Tie Loses Appeal Against 20-Year Bribery Sentence

Former China national football team coach Li Tie has lost his appeal against a 20-year prison sentence for bribery and corruption, with the Hubei Provincial Higher People's Court upholding the original verdict. Li, who played for Everton in the English Premier League and coached China from 2019 to 2021, was found guilty of giving and receiving bribes totaling approximately 120 million yuan while working with both club and national teams between 2015 and 2021. The court concluded that he accepted bribes in exchange for selecting certain players for the national team and assisting clubs in winning competitions and signing players. Li had submitted a guilty plea, and his case is part of a broader anti-corruption crackdown in Chinese football that has seen several top officials and administrators sentenced. Authorities have targeted football corruption as part of a wider campaign against graft in China. Li may still appeal to the Supreme People's Court, the country's highest judicial body.