China investigates former coach Li Tie

Chinese authorities have announced an investigation into the former coach of the men’s soccer team Li Tieone of the greatest legends of this sport in this country for his achievements as a player, accused of “serious violations of the law.”

In a brief statement published by the Commission for Inspection and Supervision of Discipline – the anti-corruption body of the Communist Party – of the central province of Hubei, it was indicated that it was being investigated by national authorities.

So far, the nature of his alleged crimes has not been disclosed. According to local newspapers, rumors have surfaced in recent weeks that Li was detained while participating in a seminar for professional soccer coaches organized by the Chinese Federation.

Li, 45, is one of the most famous football players in the history of China, for which team he played 92 games and scored 5 goals. In his career on the field, he stood out as a defensive midfielder for Liaoning and became one of the pillars that led the national team to play its only World Cup, in 2002, after which he signed for English side Everton , where he excelled in his first season, but injuries hindered his career, which eventually took him to Sheffield United before returning to China in 2008.

After being assistant coach of Guangzhou Evergrande and, certainly, of the Chinese team with Italian Marcello Lippi, Li led Hebei China Fortune and Wuhan Zall. His stint as coach began in January 2020 and ended in December 2021, when he resigned after failing to secure a ticket for the World Cup in Qatar.

His management of the national team was marked by strong criticism from the media, who described him as “arrogant” for his defiant attitude, and from fans, who lamented his reluctance to place national players such as of Brazilian Elkeson and accused him of “wasting” a generation of footballers whose greatest exponent was Wu Lei, a former Spanish striker.