On November 26, Hubei Discipline Inspection and Supervision Network released heavy news that Li Tie, the former head coach of China's national men's soccer team, is suspected of breaking serious laws and is currently undergoing an in-depth investigation by the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group of the Central General Administration of Sport and the Hubei Provincial Supervision Committee.
According to the legal definition, an offense is a wrongful act that is contrary to the law in force and causes damage to society. The seriousness of the violation can be divided into minor and major, of which major violations are crimes. Li Tie involved in major violations of the law, involving a huge amount of money or the circumstances are bad, the harm is very great, the specific conclusions need to be investigated by the party to decide. Regarding Li Tie, there are many rumors, both true and false.
On November 2, Li Tie made his last public appearance when he hosted an open training course at the Shenyang Sports Institute, where he posed for a photo with the participants after the event.
In the 2015 season, Hebei Huaxia Happiness came close to promotion in the league, but ultimately failed to do so. At the end of the season, the Dalian Football Association publicly revealed that Huaxia Happiness was suspected of purchasing fake goals in the last five rounds of matches, and although the coach involved, Li Tie, was not convicted, the incident did not die down.
Dalian party club general manager Shi Xueqing once bluntly said that the investigation of Li Tie "happy, good and evil will be rewarded".
In the 15th round of the 2016 Chinese Super League (CSL), Hebei Huaxia Happiness defeated Shanghai SIPG at home, and Li Tie blasted national team captain Guo Bingyan at the post-match conference, claiming that the other team had a tough attitude and threatened to disqualify them from the league. However, less than 24 hours later, Li Tie apologized to Guo Bingyan and the storm quickly died down.
In January 2020, Li Tie officially became the head coach of the Chinese men's soccer team, and he announced his resignation from all positions at Wuhan Zall. In preparation for the 40-team tournament, he assembled an "Iron Phase I" roster that raised questions about cronyism. His national team coaching career has been accompanied by controversy since its inception.
China's men's soccer team has had to play abroad due to the country's anti-epidemic policy.In the top 12 of the October 2021 world qualifiers, Li Tie has expressed his distress at living overseas for so long, saying he feels like a homeless child.
On November 17, 2021, the national soccer team drew 1-1 with Australia in the World Qualifying 12, and Li Tie sparked controversy when he gave a 32-minute long talk at the post-match conference. He complained about objective difficulties, criticized the different treatment of home and away matches, and repeatedly emphasized that he was the one who understood Chinese soccer and players.
At the end of November 2021, Li Tie faced a crisis of dismissal, and a report by Football Daily attracted widespread attention.
On January 4, 2020, Jose succeeded Li Tie as Wuhan's coach, but in essence he had no real power and had to follow Li Tie's remote command.
Li Tie's control over the Wuhan team is also reflected in the team's signings and transfers, which are almost exclusively handled by his close-knit agency, Comande Sports.
At the beginning of 2020, there were secret stories about the company's "deep cooperation" with Li Tie, including international players not being selected for the national team because they refused the company's requests to sign them, and players being dropped because they refused to ask for a transfer fee.
From 2018 to 2019, Li Tie's annual salary will be 12 million yuan during his coaching stint at Wuhan Zall, rising to 30 million yuan in 2020 after he moves to behind-the-scenes maneuvering. However, according to the FA, national coaches are not allowed to work part-time at clubs, and the new contract has not been filed with the FA.
In the 2020 season, Wuhan barely survived relegation through the play-offs and Li Tie's cooperation with the club came to an end. The Wuhan club allegedly refused to pay his salary, and Li Tie, as head coach of the national team, had stepped up to help collect it.
In August 2022, during the second phase of the CSL, the Football Association penalized Wuhan Changjiang (formerly Wuhan Zhuoer), with the bulk of the money owed coming from Li Tie. Wuhan Changjiang objected to this and stated that they would withdraw from the CSL if penalized.In November, the team was fined twice for salary arrears, with a back-and-forth fine of nine points. Li Tie's investigation was linked to reports that Tian Xudong, the chairman of Wuhan Changjiang FC, was also taken away by the relevant authorities for investigation.
In January 2020, Li Tie realized his long-cherished dream of becoming the head coach of the national soccer team. However, the investigation of alleged serious violations of the law may not only destroy his soccer dream, but also face legal sanctions. Li Tie's future, and the future of Chinese soccer, will be in the spotlight.
Li Tie is suspected of serious violations of the law, triggering a storm of anti-corruption in Chinese football, all is yet to be revealed.
