Overview

• Li Tie, former coach of the Chinese national football team, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for accepting over 110 million yuan in bribes and manipulating matches between 2015 and 2021.
• On May 2, 2025, the Supreme People’s Court of Hubei Province rejected Li’s appeal, finalizing his sentence.
• Li confessed to his crimes during a state-televised broadcast, admitting to bribery and match manipulation during his tenure as a coach.
• The case is part of a broader anti-corruption crackdown in Chinese football, led by Xi Jinping’s government to restore integrity and credibility in the sport.
• Other high-profile figures targeted in the campaign include former Chinese Football Association chairman Chen Xuyuan, who was sentenced to life imprisonment.