Former Everton player Li Tie jailed for 20 years after confessing to match fixing - sports news foot

Former Everton and China midfielder Li Tie has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for bribery, state media has reported.

The 47-year-old, who served as head coach of the Chinese national team between 2019 and 2021, confessed earlier this year to fixing matches, accepting bribes, and offering bribes to land the job.

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Li pleaded guilty in March to taking over $16million in bribes, starting from his time as assistant coach at the Hebei China Fortune Club in 2015, until 2021, when he quit as China’s coach.

In exchange for the bribes, Li would select certain individuals for the national team and help football clubs win competitions.

His imprisonment comes as part of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption crackdown.

Three former officials from the Chinese Football Association have also handed jail sentences for bribery earlier this week.

Li, who made 34 Premier League appearances for Everton between 2002 and 2006, confessed to his offences in an anti-corruption documentary aired Chinese state broadcaster CCTV earlier this year.

The 92-cap former China international said: “I’m very sorry. 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.”

More to follow…