Legendary snooker Stephen Lee's disqualification for match-fixing expired. But there's huge nuance

Legendary snooker player Stephen Lee's match-fixing ban has expired.

Stephen Lee’s 12-year suspension from snooker, imposed after he was found guilty of fixing seven matches between 2008 and 2009, has officially come to an end.

Details: The former snooker player celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday, April 12th, the same day his lengthy ban expired.

However, despite the end of his suspension, Lee still owes the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) £125,000 in legal fees. This debt must be settled before any consideration of his potential return to the sport.

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Reminder: The 2003 World Championship finalist, who was part of the legendary "Class of '92" alongside snooker giants Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Williams, and John Higgins, saw his career crumble due to the match-fixing scandal. Officials described Lee’s actions as "the worst case of corruption we've seen in snooker," and he was charged with seven counts of match-fixing for his involvement in rigging results during 2008 and 2009.

An independent tribunal found him guilty of intentionally throwing matches against Ken Doherty and Marco Fu at the 2008 Malta Cup, conspiring to lose the first frame in matches against Stephen Hendry and Mark King at the 2008 UK Championship, and fixing predetermined scores in contests against Neil Robertson at the 2008 Malta Cup and Mark Selby at the 2009 China Open.