Li Tie, a former China NT manager and Everton player, is on trial for allegations of corruption and bribery

Li Tie, a former midfielder for Everton and coach of China, is accused of bribery; his trial began on Thursday, according to official media, as part of a larger campaign against corruption in the nation’s football system.

This Monday, his old employer, the late Chen Xuyuan, the leader of the Chinese Football Association, was sentenced to life in prison for accepting $11 million in bribes.

The Communist Party in power strictly controls the Chinese judicial system, which has a conviction rate for crimes of about 100%.

In front of the Hubei provincial court, where the 46-year-old Li’s case is scheduled to be heard, local media gathered.

According to the official broadcaster CCTV, Li, the coach for China from January 2020 to December 2021, is charged with accepting and delivering bribes.

Li participated in 34 Premier League games between 2002 and 2004. In January, a CCTV documentary on pervasive corruption in Chinese football was broadcast.

CCTV often broadcasts confessions made by criminal defendants before their court appearances, a practice that human rights organizations strongly oppose.

In the show, Li said that as a club coach in the Chinese Super League, he had helped manipulate games and had organized about $421,000 in bribes to gain the head coach post.

“I apologize profusely. Li said, “I ought to have stayed grounded and taken the proper course.

“There were some things that were standard football procedures at the time,” he said.

Li represented China in around 100 games.