Former Premier League participant and Chinese nationwide group supervisor Li Tie has shockingly confessed to rigging video games and bribing officers.
The ex-Everton midfielder admitted to having mounted matches and bribed soccer officers in China to safe his function as supervisor of the nationwide aspect.
Li Tie’s soccer journey took him from Goodison Park – the place he performed between 2002 and 2006 – to Sheffield United for an additional two years earlier than going again house to China after damage woes at Bramall Lane. However, issues turned murky for him when he ventured into teaching – he turned China’s high coach for 2 years ranging from 2019.
READ MORE: Ex-Premier League star meets followers for simply £35 in corridor used for Slimming World
READ MORE: Sven-Goran Eriksson, 75, has a yr to dwell and even ‘rather less’ as he battles most cancers
Learn extra
Sky Sports is bringing you 500 dwell soccer video games to look at, as nicely entry to Cricket, Golf, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA and extra throughout eight devoted channels. Sky Sports is the solely solution to watch all of the motion this yr.
£22 a month
Sky
By 2022, Li was caught within the jaws of an investigation as he confronted allegations of “serious violations of the law”. This occurred whereas Chinese soccer was grappling with a large anti-corruption drive that noticed a number of high-profile figures dropped at e book, as per the Mirror.
During his look on state broadcaster CCTV, Li confessed to giving out a whopping £330,000 in bribes to take over as head coach. That wasn’t all; he additionally had a hand in a match-fixing scandal throughout his time as a membership coach.
(Image: No credit score)
The former footballer stated: “I’m very sorry. I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path.” He then cited previous lax practices in soccer as a part of his justification, including: “There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football.”
When he bagged the job as boss of the Chinese nationwide aspect, Li hailed the second as certainly one of his “biggest dreams”, till it emerged that he solicited the intervention of his current employers, Wuhan Zall Football Club. In return, he promised to pay them again after utilizing their enter to curry favour with the Chinese Football Association.
At Hebei China Fortune, the 48-year-old confessed he rigged matches and at the same time as head coach of Wuhan Zall Football Club in 2017, he continued this dodgy follow. He admitted: “By gaining ‘success’ through such improper means, it actually made me more and more impatient and eager for quick results.”
(Image: No credit score)
He added: “In order to achieve good performance, I resorted to influencing referees, bribing opposing players and coaches, sometimes through clubs dealing with other clubs. This behaviour becomes a habit, and eventually, there is even a slight dependence on these practices.”
Chen Xuyuan, the previous boss of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) who himself has been whacked with bribery expenses, commented: “Soccer fans can tolerate the backwardness of Chinese soccer, but not corruption. There’s no remedy for bygones. If there’s one, I’m willing to pay for that with my life.”
* This article was crafted with the assistance of an AI software, which quickens Daily Star’s editorial analysis. An editor reviewed this content material earlier than it was printed. You can report any errors to starletters@dailystar.co.uk