A former Premier League footballer has been jailed for 20 years for bribery, Chinese state media has reported.
Li Tie, who played in midfield for Everton more than 30 times between 2002 and 2006, went on to manage the China national team between January 2020 and December 2021.
It is alleged the 47-year-old received bribes of more than 50 million yuan (£5.4m).
He was found guilty of “leveraging his positions” as head coach of the national football and national selection teams by a court in the city of Xianning.
Li Tie was also charged with taking bribes between 2015 and 2019 while working for local football clubs.
He pleaded guilty to bribery and corruption in March following an investigation which began in November 2022.
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Image: Li Tie on the bench while at Everton in 2005. Pic: Reuters
His is the latest in a series of corruption cases within Chinese football.
In March Chen Xuyuan, a former president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), was sentenced to life in prison for bribery.
Earlier this week, three other CFA officials received prison sentences for bribery, state media said.
Source : Sky News
