BEIJING, April 30, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Former Premier League midfielder Li Tie has lost his appeal against a 20-year prison sentence for bribery, a Chinese court said on Wednesday.

A lower court jailed the former China coach in December, snaring one of the country's best-known football figures in a sweeping government crackdown on corruption in sport.

The Hubei Provincial Higher People's Court said in a statement Wednesday it had rejected Li's appeal and ruled to uphold his original jail term.

He was found guilty of a string of offences relating to giving and receiving bribes.

The 47-year-old represented his country nearly 100 times and moved to Everton in 2002.

After retiring from playing, he served as national team coach from January 2020 to December 2021.

President Xi Jinping has waged an unrelenting campaign against deep-seated corruption since coming to power over a decade ago.

Anti-graft authorities took aim at the sport industry in 2022 and have since announced a string of convictions for football administrators, players and coaches.