The World Cup is in full swing. While the eyes of soccer players around the world are focused on Qatar, a major announcement in China has drawn the attention of Chinese fans to Li Tie, the former head coach of the national soccer team.
Li Tie, the former head coach of the national soccer team, is suspected of serious violations of the law, the Hubei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision Committee reported on November 26th. He is currently under supervision and investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group of the General Administration of the State Supervision Commission and the Hubei Provincial Supervision Commission.
It's not uncommon for FA officials to be investigated
It's been 10 years since the last major anti-corruption campaign in soccer, and it's been a decade of "gold dollar soccer" in China, where the wages of local players have risen, regardless of whether their strength has improved or not.
This investigation of Li Tie is undoubtedly another major scandal that has emerged in Chinese soccer. As a matter of fact, it is not uncommon for Chinese soccer to violate the law and discipline in the past two years.
Illegal advertising and a thriving commercial landscape
From coaching the national soccer team to his dismissal, Li Tie has been in the whirlpool of public opinion. What's even sadder is that the main reason for Li Tie's dismissal was not his business ability, but the influence of off-field factors.
On November 17, 2021, the national soccer team drew 1-1 with Australia. After the match, Li Tie posted advertisement content on social media, and the relevant co-brand violated the rules of cooperation between the national soccer team and its sponsors.
According to incomplete statistics, Li Tie coached the national soccer team during the period, released no less than 20 publicity and promotion microblogging, involving Li Ning, Jianlibao, Rainforest Ancient Tea House and other brands.
In addition to advertising, Li Tie's business map is also mainly related to soccer. According to a network survey, Li Tie owns nine companies at the same time, most of which are related to the soccer industry and work closely with the national soccer team.27 Some media sources revealed that Li Tie's fixed deposits in a bank in Shenyang amounted to 100 million yuan.
Li Tie and Wuhan Zall's feud
The notice said that the Hubei Provincial Supervision Commission's supervisory investigation was also involved in the joint investigation of Li Tie, which may be related to Li Tie's former general manager and head coach of Wuhan Zhuoer Football Club.
In 2017, Li Tie served as general manager and sports director of Wuhan Zhuoer Club, and then served as head coach of Wuhan Zhuoer. 2018, he led Wuhan Zhuoer to succeed beyond. According to the previous soccer newspaper, in 2018 and 2019, Li Tie's annual salary for coaching Wuhan Zhuoer reached 12 million yuan, and in 2020, after turning into a behind-the-scenes "manipulation", his annual salary in Wuhan Zhuoer reached 30 million yuan. Later, Wuhan Zhuoer owed wages, Li Tie and the players to Wuhan Zhuoer demanded wages.
According to the investigation report about the lawsuit, we can see some disputes about salary collection and arrears.2022 On October 20, 2022, the People's Court of Huangpi District, Wuhan City, issued a judgment on Shaanxi Comande Sports Co. v. Wuhan Yangtze River Soccer Club Co. line discipline contract dispute.
The judgment provides that on July 26, 2019, Shaanxi Comande Sports Limited entered into a Chinese player agent contract with Wuhan Zhuoer Professional Football Club Limited, agreeing that Li Wei would operate Chen Yuhao in the summer of 2019, on loan from Zhejiang Yiteng Football Club to Wuhan Zhuoer Football Club. Within 10 days after the signing of the contract, Wuhan Zall Football Club paid a brokerage fee of RMB 500,000.On July 31, 2019, the plaintiff added Chen Yuhao to Wuhan Zall Football Club as agreed.
The court held that the refusal of Wuhan Changjiang Football Club Co., Ltd. to pay the remuneration constituted a breach of contract and should bear the responsibility of continuing to fulfill the breach of contract.
Previously, the soccer industry media reports that Li Tie and Comande agency has a close contact, the problem is that Li Tie forced the club to ask for 30 million yuan in wages, not in the contract, the leadership of the Football Association has also come forward to "help" need to look at them to "ask for salary "This way is legal, if you use their own power to threaten, is also a very serious job crime.
Why does the Ombudsman's Office handle cases?
According to chapter III, article 15, of the Supervision Law, the supervisory authorities are empowered to supervise "persons authorized by laws or regulations to engage in public affairs or organizations entrusted by State organs with the management of public affairs in accordance with the law".
Men's soccer head coaches are appointed by the Chinese Football Association. The Chinese Football Association is a social organization that is authorized by law and entrusted by the State General Administration of Sport to manage national soccer affairs. Therefore, when Li Tie was the head coach of men's soccer, his status was that of a State public official, and the Supervisory Committee was authorized to supervise and investigate him under the Supervision Law.
In addition, the supervision law stipulates that although the general manager and head coach of Wuhan Zall Football Club is not a national public official status: "Because of the status of the national public official investigated person suspected of other violations of the law and crime, generally by the supervisory organs of the main investigations" That is to say, the supervisory organs can be investigated by the investigator investigator of the person of the public official and non-public official criminal behavior. The involvement of the Hubei Provincial Supervisory Commission will facilitate an in-depth investigation of the case.
Why does Li Tie only use monitoring and investigation?
Unlike most of the previous notices of fallen officials, this notice only mentions "supervisory investigation" but not "disciplinary review", which is mainly related to Li Tie's political outlook, as Li Tie is not a member of the CPC but a member of the Democratic Party, and therefore the Disciplinary Inspection Committee does not need to initiate a case review of him under the CPC Disciplinary Regulations. Therefore, the Disciplinary Inspection Committee did not need to initiate a case against him under the CPC Disciplinary Regulations.
According to the Central Discipline Inspection Commission and the Regulations Office of the National Supervisory Commission
From the iron waist of the stadium, to the coach of the national soccer team, to the investigation of alleged serious violations. In addition to sighing, we also expect the relevant parties to thoroughly investigate the relevant cases and responsible persons. Only by letting the illegal and undisciplined behavior have no place to hide, Chinese soccer can be clean.
