Former head coach indicted for bribery

Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese national men's soccer team, has been indicted on bribery charges, a statement issued on Wednesday by the Hubei Provincial People's Procuratorate said.

The anti-graft authorities and the public security bureau of Chibi, Hubei, recently concluded investigations into Li's case and handed it over to the procuratorial authorities for review and action.

He was indicted by the Xianning People's Procuratorate, which was tasked with handling the case, and it initiated a public prosecution with the Xianning Intermediate People's Court, the statement said.

Li, 46, a native of Shenyang in Liaoning province, is a former professional soccer player. He served as the assistant coach of the Chinese national men's soccer team in 2014 and 2016, and became the head coach in January 2020.

In August 2021, the Chinese Football Association confirmed the signing of a contract with Li which would allow him to continue coaching the national team till 2026. However, four months later, Li submitted his resignation and this was later accepted by the CFA.

In November 2022, Li was placed under investigation by a discipline inspection and supervision group at the General Administration of Sport of China, which was dispatched by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, as well as the Hubei provincial commission of supervision.

The anti-graft investigations triggered a chain reaction and soon a dozen soccer officials were being investigated, including Du Zhaocai, former deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China, the CFA's former president Chen Xuyuan and former vice-president Li Yuyi, the CFA Super League's former chairman Ma Chengquan and former general manager Dong Zheng.

The General Administration of Sport of China was included in the list for the first round of disciplinary inspections announced by the 20th CPC Central Committee in March, a move aimed at further tackling corruption and deep-seated institutional issues in sports, especially soccer.

In April, the administration held an anti-corruption work meeting in Beijing and the case of Li Tie, among others, was mentioned to serve as a warning.