Once these doubts come true, the teams that conspired with Li Tie will surely be worried. Hebei and Wuhan Changjiang have already been confirmed to have slipped to the second division and may even face suspension. Given past match-fixing scandals, other teams are at high risk of facing relegation from the Football Association next season.
Second, the hot topic: which are the teams suspected of faking the game?
In fact, this is not the first time that the media exposed Li Tie and his relegation process suspected of playing fake games and selling points. Sports Weekly reporter Ran Xiongfei had been the first to disclose Li Tie's wrongdoing. Now that Li Xuan has once again exposed Li Tie's scandals, many fans have speculated and analyzed in depth Li Tie's coaching of Hebei Huaxia Happiness and Wuhan's fixtures.
Regarding the rumors of Li Tie's match-fixing, Ran Xiongfei revealed that during Li Tie's coaching of Wuhan Zhuoer in 2019, he was suspected of operating match-fixing in two matches against Tianjin Quanjian in the Chinese Super League, and Zhang Lu was suspected of being involved in one of the matches. At the end of that season, the 4-4 draw with the southern team allegedly sold points for the other team.
Dating back to 2018, when Li Tie led Wuhan Zall's sprint, was there any possibility of match-fixing in the final rounds?In 2015, when Li Tie coached Huaxia Happiness, the Dalian Football Association (DFA) had directly reported Hebei Huaxia Happiness as suspected of faking a match in the last five rounds by bribing its opponents. The news was once suppressed by the FA and remains an open case.
Third, Li Tie incident affects the pattern of the new season Chinese super team
The 2022 season is coming to an end. Hebei, Guangzhou and Wuhan Changjiang have already locked up their relegation spots. These three teams are inextricably linked with Li Tie, which is really regrettable. Especially Hebei and Wuhan Changjiang, they may not even be able to participate in next season's China First Division League, or even face disbandment. Crucially, the teams that are still in the Chinese Super League could also face relegation once they gain points.
It all seems to be a foregone conclusion. As Li Tie's case progresses, the Chinese Super League team suspected of being involved is likely to be relegated to the Central League, which means Guangzhou is expected to get a replacement spot in the Super League as long as they resolve their salary arrears.
You should be aware that the rival team that allegedly faked the game with Li Tie is still in the Chinese Super League. This is a highly questionable match-fixing incident that some people may still be in the dark about. It is likely that a Chinese Super League team exists. We expect the relevant authorities to uncover the truth as soon as possible.
