Li Tie
Source: Africa Publicity
In a shocking fall from grace, former Everton midfielder Li Tie, 47, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery and match-fixing. Li, who played alongside Wayne Rooney in the early 2000s, confessed to accepting and giving over £12.6 million in bribes.
Li’s downfall is part of China’s sweeping crackdown on corruption in professional soccer. The country’s anti-graft agency launched an investigation in 2022, following the national team’s disappointing World Cup performance.
Prosecutors accused Li of accepting $6.8 million in bribes between 2019 and 2021, granting favors to players and clubs in exchange. Li’s sentence follows the life imprisonment of Chen Xuyuan, former head of China’s soccer association, for corruption.
China’s soccer ambitions, fueled by leader Xi Jinping’s vision to become a “world soccer superpower,” have been marred by poor financial decisions, corruption and disappointing performance. Li Tie’s case serves as a stark reminder of the sport’s dark underbelly.
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