A former Premier League star has now been sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of corruption and match-fixing.
While match-fixing was much more common in previous decades, it is now something that is extremely shunned upon in many countries, and measures and punishment to curb such instances have become increasingly stricter.
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As such, former Everton player Li Tie has now been sentenced to life behind bars in his home country of China.
The former midfielder is most famous for representing the Toffees between 2002 and 2006.
According to the Metro, a crackdown on corruption in Chinese football led to his arrest, with Li was suspected of offering and accepting bribes by the Chinese public prosecutor.
The investigation came after he left his role as the China national team coach between 2019 and 2021.
In a televised confession on the country's state broadcaster CCTV, Li confessed that he paid about £330 000 (R8 million) to manage the national football team.
He further revealed that he had also played a part in in a match-fixing scandal to secure promotions with the club he played for in China.
"I'm very sorry," Li said in a televised statement, per the Metro.
"I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path. There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football.
"By gaining 'success' through such improper means, it actually made me more and more impatient and eager for quick results.
"In order to achieve good performance, I resorted to influencing referees, bribing opposing players and coaches, sometimes through clubs dealing with other clubs."
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