- Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
- 'Draconian' Vietnam internet law heightens free speech fears
- Israeli women mobilise against ultra-Orthodox military exemptions
- Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate worries
- Tens of thousands protest in Serbian capital over fatal train station accident
- Trump vows to 'stop transgender lunacy' as a top priority
- Daniels throws five TDs as Commanders down Eagles, Lions and Vikings win
- 'Who's next?': Misinformation and online threats after US CEO slaying
- Only 12 trucks delivered food, water in North Gaza Governorate since October: Oxfam
- Langers edge Tiger and son Charlie in PNC Championship playoff
- Explosive batsman Jacobs gets New Zealand call-up for Sri Lanka series
- Holders PSG edge through on penalties in French Cup
- Slovak PM Fico on surprise visit to Kremlin to talk gas deliveries
- Daniels throw five TDs as Commanders down Eagles
- Atalanta fight back to take top spot in Serie A, Roma hit five
- Mancini admits regrets over leaving Italy for Saudi Arabia
- Run machine Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa
- Slovak PM Fico on surprise visit to Kremlin
- Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill 35
- 'Incredible' Liverpool must stay focused: Slot
- Maresca 'absolutely happy' as title-chasing Chelsea drop points in Everton draw
- Salah happy wherever career ends after inspiring Liverpool rout
- Three and easy as Dortmund move into Bundesliga top six
- Liverpool hit Spurs for six, Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth
- Netanyahu vows to act with 'force, determination' against Yemen's Huthis
- Mbappe back from 'bottom' as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- Ali hat-trick helps champions Ahly crush Belouizdad
- France kept on tenterhooks over new government
- Salah stars as rampant Liverpool hit Spurs for six
- Syria's new leader says all weapons to come under 'state control'
- 'Sonic 3' zips to top of N.America box office
- Rome's Trevi Fountain reopens to limited crowds
- Mbappe strikes as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- 'Nervous' Man Utd humiliated by Bournemouth
- Pope again condemns 'cruelty' of Israeli strikes on Gaza
- Lonely this Christmas: Vendee skippers in low-key celebrations on high seas
- Troubled Man Utd humiliated by Bournemouth
- 2 US pilots shot down over Red Sea in 'friendly fire' incident: military
- Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth, Chelsea held at Everton
- France awaits fourth government of the year
- Germany pledges security inquest into Christmas market attack
- Death toll in Brazil bus crash rises to 41
- Joshua bout only fight left for beaten Fury says promoter Hearn
- Odermatt stays hot to break Swiss World Cup wins record
- Neville says Rashford's career at Man Utd nearing 'inevitable ending'
- Syria's new leader vows not to negatively interfere in Lebanon
- Germany pledges security inquest after Christmas market attack
- Putin vows 'destruction' on Ukraine after Kazan drone attack
- Understated Usyk seeks recognition among boxing legends
- France awaits appointment of new government
China jails former Premier League star Li Tie 20 years for corruption
China on Friday jailed former Premier League star and men's national coach Li Tie for 20 years for bribery, snaring one of the country's greatest football figures in a sweeping government crackdown on corruption in sport.
President Xi Jinping has waged an unrelenting campaign against deep-seated official corruption since coming to power over a decade ago.
Anti-graft authorities took aim at the sport industry in 2022 and have announced a string of convictions for former football administrators this week.
In the highest-profile case to date, a court in central Hubei province said Friday that Li had been sentenced to "fixed-term imprisonment of 20 years" after being found guilty of a string of offences relating to giving and receiving bribes.
The 47-year-old is one of China's biggest football names, serving as national team coach from January 2020 to December 2021, after racking up nearly 100 international caps and playing as a midfielder for English Premier League side Everton.
But state broadcaster CCTV said he used his status as China coach to extract nearly 51 million yuan ($7 million) in bribes in return for selecting players for the national team or helping them sign for clubs.
Li also "asked others to help him" become the national coach in 2019 and handed the unnamed people one million yuan the following year, according to CCTV.
During his tenure at now-defunct Chinese Super League (CSL) side Wuhan Zall, Li also colluded with club chiefs to hand out bribes in an effort to secure the national team job, the broadcaster said.
It also listed other accusations that Li and his previous clubs had paid the equivalent of millions of dollars in bribes to seal player transfers and fix match results stretching back to 2015.
A photograph of Li published by CCTV showed the disgraced sportsman in the court dock, wearing a black hooded sweater and flanked by two police officers.
- Televised confession -
China's legal system is tightly controlled by the ruling Communist Party and courts have a near-100 percent conviction rate in criminal cases.
Li's conviction seemed certain after he pleaded guilty earlier this year to accepting over $10 million in bribes.
He also featured in a documentary aired by CCTV in January about widespread corruption in Chinese football.
CCTV occasionally airs confessions by criminal suspects before they have appeared in court, a practice widely condemned by rights groups.
In the programme, Li said he had arranged nearly $421,000 in bribes to secure the head coach position and helped fix CSL matches.
"I'm very sorry. I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path," said Li during the show.
"There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football."
- String of convictions -
Chinese authorities have announced a spate of corruption convictions this week, and state media said the sentencing of the former vice-chief of the national sport administration was also expected on Friday.
On Wednesday, Liu Yi, who was secretary general of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), was handed an 11-year sentence and fined 3.6 million yuan ($495,000) for taking bribes.
The same day, the former head of the CFA's referees management office Tan Hai was given six and a half years and a 200,000-yuan fine for the same crime.
And on Tuesday, Qi Jun, the CFA's ex-chief of strategic planning, was sentenced to seven years and slapped with a 600,000-yuan penalty.
Former CFA chief Chen Xuyuan was jailed for life in March for accepting bribes.
Proponents of Xi's corruption crackdown say the policy promotes clean governance, but others say it also serves as a means for him to purge political rivals.
Xi is a self-proclaimed football fan who wants China to host and win the World Cup one day, but the men's national team has long failed to impress.
FIFA currently ranks China 90th in the world, one place above the tiny Caribbean island of Curacao.
J.Oliveira--AMWN