Former China national team coach Li loses appeal of 20-year bribery sentence

Former China national squad coach Li Tie lost his appeal against a -year prison sentence handed down on corruption charges a Chinese court broadcasted Wednesday Li who once played in the Premier League for Everton was sentenced in December after being ascertained guilty of giving and accepting bribes of around million yuan million while coaching both Chinese Super League club Hebei China Fortune and the national crew between and He appealed the sentence but the judge at the Hubei High People s Court upheld the original verdict Li can now choose to take his episode to the Supreme People s Court the highest judicial body in the country China has been seeking to stamp out corruption and match-fixing in soccer for decades In Li was just one of a number of high-profile figures in the sport to be prosecuted in an anti-corruption sweep Former China Football Association CFA president Chen Xuyuan was jailed for life for accepting bribes while former CFA vice-president Yu Hongchen ex-deputy secretary general Chen Yongliang and former Super League general manager Dong Zheng were also sentenced to lengthy prison terms AP soccer https apnews com hub soccer Source