[Epoch Times, November 13, 2022]On the eve of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the news that former national football coach Li Tie was taken away for investigation went viral on the Internet. There has been a lot of speculation about this matter, and there are various theories, but so far, there has been no official statement.
Jimu News reported on the 13th that a person familiar with the matter learned that Li Tie was taken away for investigation. On the previous day, as the leader of the group, he also discussed related matters with the trainees of the group in which the training course was held. On the morning of the next day (November 9), he was taken away. By the end of the training session, Li Tie had not reappeared.
Whether Li Tie was taken away is to be investigated or to assist in the investigation, it remains to be further confirmed.
Weibo reported that Li Tie had an accident on the 11th. “Li Pingkang 1991”, certified as a sports host, issued a document on the 12th, revealing that multiple sources confirmed that Li “doesn’t have something to do with it”, referring to his announcement on the 11th that he would join the CCTV World Cup “Explanation Team”. Released before the start (November 20), which is equivalent to making the incident public.
Some people in the media have posted, suggesting that there is a suspected problem in the Chinese football industry. It is rumored that many football practitioners have been invited away. Li Tie, 45 years old, a native of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, has been the coach of the Chinese men’s football team since 2020 and resigned last year.
The news of Li Tie’s accident caused many speculations. Song Zude, a well-known whistleblower in the mainland entertainment industry, questioned: “Did Li Tie violate the law? The investigation team will not take people away easily. Is it related to economic violations? Maybe someone with a position has been investigated for corruption, and Li Tie is implicated. I hope Li Tie didn’t break the law, and I want to hear him explain the World Cup!”
“Red Star News” said that it has contacted a person familiar with the matter. According to him, the matter is not completely groundless, but he feels that it is all right. “Many things are not as simple as uploaded on the Internet. Wait and see what he (Li Tie) will do. Explain!”
The 22nd FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, will be the first unrestricted large-scale sports event after the global outbreak of the 2019-nCoV epidemic. The World Cup is held in the northern hemisphere winter from November to December.
Responsible editor: Fang Ming