Former Everton midfielder Li Tie has confessed to being involved in match-fixing following an investigation by the Chinese government into corruption in Chinese football.
Li, 46, who was head coach of the Chinese national team between October 2019 and December 2021, admitted to arranging nearly $421,000 (£330,954) in bribes to bag the position of the head coach and secure the head coach position and took part in fixing matches during his tenure as a club coach.
Li told China Central Television (CCTV): “I’m very sorry. I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path. There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football.
“By gaining ‘success’ through such improper means, it actually made me more and more impatient and eager for quick results.
“In order to achieve good performance, I resorted to influencing referees, bribing opposing players and coaches, sometimes through clubs dealing with other clubs. This behaviour becomes a habit, and eventually, there is even a slight dependence on these practices.”