In pursuit of becoming the head coach of the national soccer team, Mr. Li admitted in the film to using bribery and financial means to manipulate his way into the position.
The documentary alleges that Mr. Li engaged in using money to bribe officials such as Du Zhaocai, former deputy director of the general administration of sport and former party secretary of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), and Chen Xuyuan, former chairman of the CFA. This is considered part of a larger corruption scandal within the soccer community.
The reason Mr. Li was qualified to become the head coach candidate of the national soccer team is that he had previously led two China League One teams to successfully advance to the Chinese Super League (CSL). However, in reality, behind these achievements were instances of bribery and numerous match-fixing. The documentary reveals the bribery processes that Mr. Li engaged in during his two attempts to enter the CSL.
In one case, after being assigned as the manager of the Hebei China Fortune Club in 2015, Mr. Li was urged by the club to use his connections to bribe opponents. He orchestrated a $1.95 million bribe to buy off the coach and players of Shenzhen Yuheng Club, securing a favorable outcome in the crucial last match.
Mr. Li’s involvement in match-fixing continued during his tenure as the head coach of Wuhan Zall Club in 2017. The documentary claims that he actively promoted match-fixing within the club. With his instigation, the club spared no expense to secure promotion. On Oct. 6, 2018, Wuhan Zall Club secured a promotion three rounds in advance.
The documentary revealed for the first time that, in his quest for the national team coaching position, Mr. Li persuaded the Wuhan Zall Club to contribute money, resulting in a $279,000 bribe to Mr. Chen, the former chairman of the CFA. Personal payments of approximately $139,500 were made by Mr. Li to Liu Yi, the then secretary-general of the CFA.
After Marcello Lippi resigned, Mr. Li was hastily appointed as the head coach of the national soccer team. The documentary suggests that the day after confirming the position, Mr. Li signed a contract with Wuhan Zall Club for a total of approximately $8.37 million, followed by the inclusion of four Zall Club players in the national team.
The exposé extends to the guilt of former Wuhan Zall Club chairman, Tian Xudong, who admitted remorse upon realizing his players were not qualified for the national team.
It also implicates Mr. Chen, who allegedly received bribes from two clubs totaling approximately $41,850 before assuming the role of CFA chairman, accumulating millions over the years.
Team’s Defeat to Vietnam Sparks Outrage and Exposes Corruption
On the evening of Feb. 1, 2022, the Chinese national men’s soccer team faced a devastating loss to Vietnam, with a score of 1–3 in the World Cup qualifiers. This defeat, occurring two rounds before the end, marked China’s exclusion from the 2022 Qatar World Cup, leaving fans in dismay.Soccer’s popularity in China is akin to football in America. Its reputation has been soiled not only by the team’s continuous decline but also by off-field controversies. A salary dispute between Mr. Li and the Wuhan Zall Club, leading to Mr. Li being reported by the club’s management, coupled with the defeat in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, brought the sport’s corruption issues to light.
Wang Yi, a Beijing soccer fan, shared his sentiments on Jan. 12 with the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times, expressing deep disappointment in China’s national team. “Talking about the national team is heartbreaking. The World Cup happens once every four years, and fans have been looking forward to it for four years, one cycle after another,” said Mr. Wang. He criticized players who rely on bribery to secure their positions, questioning their skill level and expressing embarrassment at the team’s inability to find eleven competent players among China’s 1.4 billion population. The defeat to the Vietnamese team only amplified concerns about corruption and incompetence on an international level.
The anticipation for the 2022 Qatar World Cup turned into fury for many fans who couldn’t attend the match in Hanoi, Vietnam, due to pandemic-related lockdowns. The away match, ending in a 1–3 defeat, left Chinese fans attending the event in tears, as they had abandoned family celebrations for the Chinese New Year to support the national team. Mr. Wang denounced the expectations placed on the team, stating: “The genuine expectations placed on the national team resulted in nothing but a staged disappointment.”
Independent writer Zhuge Mingyang, speaking to the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times, criticized the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), describing it as systematically corrupt and likening it to a decaying corpse infested with maggots. He suggested that those within the system are both termites and sacrificial pawns.
Public records provide a glimpse into the life of Mr. Li. He was born on May 18, 1977, in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. Once a member of Jianlibao’s youth soccer team, he received training in Brazil and played for two English Premier League clubs, including Everton and Sheffield United. Mr. Li later served as an assistant coach of the Chinese national men’s soccer team and later took over as the head coach in January 2020, resigning in December 2021. In November 2022, he faced investigations for serious violations of law, and in August 2023, he was indicted on bribery charges.
