Ex Premier League footballer, LI TIE, loses appeal in 20-year bribery sentence



Thursday, May 1, 2025 - Former Premier League midfielder and ex-China national football team coach Li Tie has lost his appeal against a 20-year prison sentence for bribery, a Chinese court announced on Wednesday, April 30. 

The Hubei Provincial Higher People's Court confirmed in a statement that it had dismissed Li's appeal, upholding the original verdict delivered in December by a lower court.

Li, 47, was convicted of multiple counts of giving and receiving bribes, marking one of the highest-profile convictions in China’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign within the sports sector. Once celebrated as a national football icon, Li earned nearly 100 caps for China and made international headlines when he joined English side Everton in 2002.

Following his retirement from professional football, Li transitioned into coaching and led the Chinese national team from January 2020 until December 2021. His conviction is part of a broader government crackdown on corruption in Chinese football that began in 2022 and has since resulted in a series of arrests and prosecutions involving players, coaches, and sports administrators.

The anti-graft campaign, led by President Xi Jinping, has intensified in recent years with a focus on cleaning up the country's sports industry. Li’s fall from grace underscores the depth of corruption concerns and the government's resolve to punish high-profile offenders regardless of their status.

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