A Chinese court announced on Wednesday that former Premier League midfielder Li Tie has lost his appeal against a 20-year prison sentence for bribery.
Li, who also served as head coach of China’s national football team, was sentenced in December by a lower court as part of a wide-ranging government crackdown on corruption in sports.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Hubei Provincial Higher People’s Court confirmed it had rejected his appeal and upheld the original sentence.
Li, 47, was convicted of multiple offenses involving both offering and accepting bribes.
A prominent figure in Chinese football, he earned nearly 100 caps for the national team and joined Everton in 2002. After retiring, he coached China’s national team from January 2020 to December 2021.
His case is part of President Xi Jinping’s broader anti-corruption campaign, which has intensified in the sports sector since 2022. Numerous officials, players, and coaches have since faced investigation and conviction.