Former Everton and China national team player Li Tie sentenced to 20 years in prison

Li Tie, one of the first Chinese footballers to play in the Premier League, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in his home country, reports the Daily Mail. The former midfielder was convicted of accepting and offering bribes and participating in match-fixing schemes, with the total bribe amount exceeding $16 million.

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Reports indicate that Li received bribes for selecting certain players for the Chinese national team and for orchestrating fixed match results during his managerial tenures at Hebei and Wuhan Zall.

Li ended his playing career in 2011 and transitioned into coaching in China. He managed Guangzhou Evergrande, Hebei, and Wuhan Zall. Additionally, he served as an assistant to Alain Perrin for the Chinese national team from 2014 to 2015. Following Marcello Lippi's resignation in 2019, Li took over as the interim head coach and was officially appointed head coach of the national team from early 2020 to 2021.

As a player, Li Tie was a defensive midfielder, featuring for Premier League clubs Everton and Sheffield United. He was also a key player for the Chinese national team, participating in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Over his international career, Li earned 92 caps and scored six goals.