Former Premier League player bags life imprisonment in China for bribery and match fixing

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A Chinese former Premier League player was sentenced to life imprisonment in China for bribery and match fixing.

Li Tie who played 92 times for China admitted that he paid bribes of £330,000 (3 million Yuan) to gain management of China’s national team.

Tie whose days at Everton and Sheffield were soiled by a leg injury appeared only 40 times for Everton and once for Sheffield.

The Chinaman hung the boots in 2008. He later coached within China before being appointed the country’s first team’s coach in 2019. But he was replaced few years later.

In 2022, China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), including their anti-corruption agency, placed the former skipper under investigation for ‘serious violation of laws’.

In January 2024, a live video of Li Tie was viewed around China in which he said the following as a confession:

‘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.

‘By gaining “success” through such improper means, it actually made me more and more impatient and eager for quick results.

‘In order to achieve good performance, I resorted to influencing referees, bribing opposing players and coaches, sometimes through clubs dealing with other club.

‘This behaviour becomes a habit, and eventually, there is even a slight dependence on these practices.’

Tie had fixed matches as a club coach.