The first-instance verdict in Li Tie's case was announced: he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for several crimes!

On December 13, 2024, the Intermediate People's Court of Xianning City, Hubei Province, publicly announced the verdict in the case of Li Tie, the former head coach of the Chinese national men's football team, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crimes of accepting bribes, offering bribes, offering bribes to units, accepting bribes from non-state functionaries, and offering bribes to non-state functionaries.

Li Tie's case was tried in the first instance on March 28, 2024, and the Xianning Municipal People's Procuratorate alleged: From 2019 to 2021, the defendant Li Tie took advantage of his position as the head coach of the Chinese National Men's Football Selection Team (hereinafter referred to as the men's national football team) and the head coach of the Chinese National Men's Football Team (hereinafter referred to as the men's national football team) or the facilitation of the formation of his authority and status to provide assistance to relevant units and individuals in matters such as the selection of players for the national team, winning competitions, and signing clubs. Illegally accepted more than 50.89 million yuan from others. In 2019, Li Tiewei was elected as the head coach of the men's national football team, asked others to help, and later gave others RMB 1 million in 2020. In 2019, during his tenure at Wuhan Zall Professional Football Club Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Zall Club), Li Tie agreed with the person in charge of the club to ask others to provide help, and the club gave others RMB 2 million in order to seek benefits such as being elected as the head coach of the men's national football team and improving the influence of Zall Club. From 2017 to 2019, Li Tie took advantage of his position as the general manager and head coach of Zall Club to provide assistance to Hebei Huaxia Happiness Football Club Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Huaxia Club) in matters such as player transfer and winning games, and successively received a total of RMB 26.75 million from Huaxia Club. From 2015 to 2019, during Li Tie's tenure at Huaxia Club and Zall Club, in order to win the game or obtain favorable results, he agreed with the person in charge of the club to ask other football clubs to cooperate or play negatively in the game, and Huaxia Club and Zall Club gave a total of more than 39.05 million yuan to the relevant personnel. The procuratorate requested that Li Tie be investigated for criminal responsibility for the crimes of accepting bribes, offering bribes, offering bribes to units, accepting bribes from non-state functionaries, and offering bribes to non-state functionaries.

During the trial, the procuratorate presented relevant evidence, the defendant Li Tie and his defender conducted cross-examination, the prosecution and defense fully expressed their opinions under the auspices of the court, and Li Tie made a final statement and pleaded guilty and repented in court.

On November 9, 2022, Li Tie, who participated in the first phase of the 2022 AFC/Chinese Football Association professional and A-level coach continuing education and training in Dalian, was taken away by relevant departments; 17 days later, on November 26, 2022, the website of the Hubei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision released a message saying that Li Tie was suspected of serious violations of the law and was under supervision and investigation by the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Team of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission in the State General Administration of Sports and the Hubei Provincial Supervision Commission; 249 days later, on August 2, 2023, the Xianning Municipal People's Procuratorate filed a public prosecution with the Xianning Intermediate People's Court on the "Li Tie case".