On December 16, 2024, the article about the former head coach of the Chinese national men’s football team, Li Tie, once again topped the trending list on Weibo.
Li Tie was sentenced to 20 years in prison for charges including bribery, giving bribes, providing bribes on behalf of his unit, accepting bribes as a non-state functionary, and giving bribes to non-state functionaries on December 13. It is currently unclear which prison Li Tie will serve his sentence in.
After Li Tie’s conviction, some internet users joked that he could not make it into the goal on the field, but managed to enter the prison gates. Questions have also been raised by netizens about his life in prison, with some wondering if playing football is allowed in prison.
Some netizens have speculated about the number of co-conspirators involved in the “Li Tie case,” suggesting that there might be enough people to form a football team. Others commented that when a figure like Li Tie is found in the Chinese football circle, it indicates that there are many other unethical individuals present.
Regarding whether Li Tie can continue to pursue his football talents in prison, the official account of an Anhui prison released a video response stating that playing football is permitted in prison, but only under the supervision of prison guards at designated times and locations.
Born in 1977 in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, Li Tie was a former professional football player and the head coach of the Chinese national men’s football team.
In November 26, 2022, Li Tie was officially investigated for serious violations of the law. His bribery case was prosecuted in August of the previous year.
On March 28 this year, the first trial of Li Tie’s case lasted for 12 hours.
The total amount involved in Li Tie’s case is nearly 120 million RMB.
According to the charges, between 2019 and 2021, Li Tie illegally accepted over 50.89 million yuan by using his positions as the head coach of the Chinese national men’s football selection team and the Chinese national men’s football team to help others in matters such as player selection for the national team, winning matches, and signing club contracts.
During his time as the head coach of the Wuhan Zall Football Club Limited in 2019, Li Tie received 2 million yuan for seeking assistance in becoming the head coach of the national team and enhancing the club’s influence.
From 2017 to 2019, Li Tie, while holding the positions of general manager and head coach of Zall Club, aided Hebei China Fortune Football Club Limited in player transfers and match victories, receiving a total of 26.75 million yuan from China Fortune Club.
Between 2015 and 2019, while working at both China Fortune Club and Zall Club, Li Tie received over 39.05 million yuan in cash from the clubs’ officials for ensuring favorable match outcomes by coordinating with other football clubs or influencing their performance.
The investigation into Li Tie caused a major stir in Chinese football, leading to the downfall of at least a dozen mid to high-ranking officials in the Chinese Football Association system within the Chinese Communist Party’s sports system.