Chinese court upholds 20-year sentence for former national men's football team head coach

WUHAN, April 30 (Xinhua) -- A court in central China on Wednesday upheld a 20-year prison sentence for Li Tie, the former head coach of the country's national men's football team, rejecting his appeal.

The ruling was issued by the Hubei Provincial Higher People's Court.

Li was originally sentenced on Dec. 13, 2024, by the Intermediate People's Court of Xianning, Hubei Province, after being convicted on multiple charges of bribery, including both giving and receiving bribes.

Born in 1977, Li rose to prominence as a midfielder and earned 93 caps for China's national team. He played in the 2002 World Cup and had a stint with Everton in the English Premier League. He served as head coach of the national men's football team from January 2020 to December 2021.

Li was placed under investigation in November 2022 and went on trial in March 2024 at a first-instance court.

According to the indictment, between 2019 and 2021, Li used his positions to benefit individuals and organizations in terms of player call-ups, match outcomes and club contract signings. Li was also charged with bribery offenses in connection with his work at local football clubs from 2015 to 2019. ■