Li Tie, who previously served as the coach for China’s national men’s soccer team, has received a 20-year prison sentence following his admission to various bribery offenses. State media reports that Li admitted to taking bribes, making payments to obtain his coaching role, and influencing match outcomes throughout his career. This situation represents yet another important example of corruption exposed in China’s relentless anti-corruption drive, which has reached a wide range of fields, such as sports, finance, and the armed forces.
In March, Li, who once played in the Premier League for Everton, admitted to accepting more than $16 million in bribes. It is said that these actions commenced in 2015, during his tenure as an assistant coach at the Hebei China Fortune Club, and persisted until he stepped down as head coach of the national team in 2021. In return for the illegal payments, Li is accused of affecting team lineups and assisting football clubs in achieving wins.
La caída de este hombre de 47 años es parte de una campaña más amplia contra la corrupción dirigida por el presidente Xi Jinping. Xi ha dado prioridad a la erradicación de la corrupción en el fútbol chino, un deporte que durante mucho tiempo ha imaginado como una fuente potencial de orgullo nacional. No obstante, las recientes revelaciones de mala conducta generalizada han afectado las aspiraciones de China de convertirse en una potencia mundial del fútbol.
The 47-year-old’s downfall is part of a broader corruption crackdown led by President Xi Jinping. Xi has prioritized rooting out corruption in Chinese football, a sport he has long envisioned as a potential source of national pride. However, the latest revelations of widespread misconduct have dealt a blow to China’s ambitions of becoming a global football powerhouse.
La confesión de Li se transmitió a principios de este año en un documental producido por el estado, donde expresó remordimiento por sus acciones. “Lamento profundamente lo ocurrido”, afirmó. “Debería haberme mantenido firme y seguido el camino correcto. Pero en ese momento, participaba en prácticas que se consideraban normales en el fútbol”. Su disculpa pública resaltó la naturaleza sistémica de la corrupción dentro del deporte, que anteriormente ha sido objeto de medidas similares de represión.
Li’s ex-boss, Chen Xuyuan, who was once the president of the CFA, received a life sentence earlier in 2024. Chen was found guilty of taking bribes amounting to $11 million. His case, along with Li’s, illustrates the extent of corruption among senior officials responsible for managing the progress of football in China.
The campaign against corruption in football parallels a similar initiative from 2010, which led to the imprisonment of numerous officials, players, and referees for match-fixing and bribery. Xi Jinping, who was the vice president at the time, also led that effort. Nevertheless, corruption has continued, and the current crackdown is seen by analysts as a reprise of earlier efforts, though this time involving significantly larger amounts of money.
The crackdown on football corruption echoes a similar campaign in 2010, during which several officials, players, and referees were imprisoned for match-fixing and bribery. Xi Jinping, then serving as vice president, spearheaded that effort as well. However, despite the crackdown, corruption has persisted, with the current campaign described by observers as a repeat of past efforts, albeit involving larger sums of money.
, provided an analysis of the hurdles confronting Chinese football. In a conversation with the BBC earlier this year, he commented, “This campaign closely mirrors the events of ten years ago, just involving different people and on a significantly larger financial scale.” Simons believes that inherent problems within the sport have enabled corruption to thrive despite prior attempts to tackle it.
Li Tie’s football journey started successfully, with the former midfielder earning 92 caps for China and participating in the nation’s sole World Cup appearance in 2002. His shift to coaching appeared promising at first, leading to his appointment as head coach of the national team in 2020. Nevertheless, his term concluded in controversy when he resigned in 2021 amid increasing accusations of wrongdoing.
Los casos de corrupción han oscurecido la visión de Xi Jinping de llevar al fútbol chino a un nivel internacional destacado. Xi delineó sus “tres deseos” para el deporte en 2011: que China se clasifique para otra Copa del Mundo, que eventualmente sea sede del torneo y que finalmente gane el campeonato. A pesar de las importantes inversiones en infraestructura futbolística y programas de entrenamiento, estas ambiciones han sido socavadas por los escándalos y la mala gestión que siguen afectando al deporte.
The corruption cases have cast a shadow over Xi Jinping’s vision of elevating Chinese football to international prominence. Xi had famously outlined his “three wishes” for the sport in 2011: for China to qualify for another World Cup, eventually host the tournament, and ultimately win the championship. Despite significant investments in football infrastructure and training programs, these ambitions have been undermined by the scandals and mismanagement that continue to plague the sport.
The impact of the recent convictions extends beyond individual punishments, raising broader questions about the governance of Chinese football. The arrests and sentencing of figures like Li Tie and Chen Xuyuan highlight the challenges of eradicating corruption in a system where it has been deeply entrenched for years. Critics argue that while crackdowns address specific instances of misconduct, they fail to tackle the underlying structures that enable corruption to persist.
La campaña más amplia contra la corrupción, que se extiende mucho más allá del fútbol, ha apuntado a figuras prominentes en diversas industrias. El gobierno de Xi Jinping ha presentado estos esfuerzos como esenciales para mantener la confianza pública y asegurar la integridad de las instituciones chinas. No obstante, los críticos han cuestionado si las campañas se centran tanto en consolidar el poder político como en abordar realmente la corrupción.
The broader anti-corruption campaign, which extends far beyond football, has targeted high-profile figures across various industries. Xi Jinping’s government has framed these efforts as essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring the integrity of Chinese institutions. However, critics have questioned whether the campaigns are as much about consolidating political power as they are about addressing corruption.
As Li Tie begins his 20-year prison sentence, the focus shifts to whether the recent crackdown will lead to meaningful reform within Chinese football. Observers remain skeptical, noting that similar campaigns in the past have failed to produce lasting change. For now, the sentencing of Li and other officials symbolizes both the scale of the problem and the difficulty of eradicating corruption in a sport that has long been synonymous with national aspirations and systemic challenges.
