Former Everton midfielder Li Tie has been handed a 20-year prison sentence on corruption charges.
Tie, who played for China in the 2002 World Cup, was found guilty of accepting and giving bribes, as well as match-fixing offences.
A court in the Hubei province alleged that from 2015, when he was an assistant coach at the Hebei China Fortune club, until 2021, when he quit as China coach, Li gave and received bribes totalling 120 million yuan ($16.5 million).
In exchange for bribes, the court said, Li would select certain individuals for the national team as well as help clubs win competitions and sign players.
Li Tie moved to Everton, initially on loan, after his impressive performances in the 2002 World Cup and made 33 appearances for the Toffees. He later made his move permanent before he departed Merseyside in 2006 due to injuries limiting his appearances.
