Li Thieu, who is currently in pre-trial detention for corruption, claims he paid almost 400,000 euros to replace Marcello Lippi as the head coach of the Chinese national team in 2020, according to L’Equipe.

Li Ti paid almost 400,000 euros to become the coach of the Chinese national team

The technician also stated that he helped organize some matches when he was the coach of the club team.

“I had to stay grounded and go the right way. There are certain things that were common practice in football at that time” – Lee T

To replace Marcello Lippi on the national team bench, Li Tieh explained in the documentary that he asked the club he coached at the time, Wuhan Zall, to intervene on his behalf with the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the state body that acts as the national federation.

According to him, the club Li Ti promised to return to after his appointment then paid him a bribe of 2 million yuan (255,000 euros) to Chen Suyuan, then president of the CFA.

Shortly after his appointment, he called up four players from Wuhan Zall to the national team who, according to their club president, who was interviewed in the documentary, “didn’t have the level to cope”.

Li Ti also said he handed over 1 million yuan (€128,000) from his own pocket to the CFA secretary general.

The coach failed to qualify China for the 2022 World Cup and was fired in December 2021.

The National Anti-Corruption Agency opened an investigation against him in late 2022, which led to the dismissal of approximately ten high-ranking managers and directors from the CFA, including former president Suyuan, News.ro reports.