Former Sheffield United and Everton midfielder Li Tie has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery, Chinese state media have reported.
A Chinese court accused that Tie offered and accepted bribes totaling more than $16 million (£12.6 million) between 2015 and 2021.
This historical period includes periods in charge of Hebei China Fortune and the Chinese national team.
Tie, now 47, is said to have admitted to rigging matches, as well as collecting and soliciting payments.
According to the court, Tie would choose players for the national team, help clubs win competitions, and recruit players in exchange for bribes.
His sentencing is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s campaign on corruption, with three former Chinese Football Association executives already imprisoned for bribes this week.
Tie apologized in an anti-corruption exposé carried by state broadcaster CCTV earlier this year. I should have kept my head down and followed the correct course. There were certain typical football practices at the time.”
Tie spent two years in South Yorkshire from 2006 to 2008, but only made one competitive appearance for the Blades after arriving from Everton.
He left to join Chengdu Tiancheng in his home China, which was previously known as Chengdu Blades due to its ownership by Sheffield United.
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