Li Tie, a former Premier League footballer known for his time at Everton, has received a 20-year prison sentence for his involvement in match-fixing. Li, who previously managed China's national football team, pleaded guilty in March to accepting more than $16 million (£12.7 million/€15.2 million) in bribes, which included both accepting and offering bribes, according to reports. The court revealed that his offenses took place while he was an assistant coach for the Hebei China Fortune Club, which was part of the Chinese Super League before being declared defunct last year. Li's tenure at the club spanned from 2015 to 2021, the year he left his position as national coach. He accepted bribes in exchange for selecting certain players for the national team and assisting specific clubs in winning competitions. During his playing career, Li represented China 92 times and was part of the squad at the 2002 World Cup. He initially joined Everton on loan in 2002, later making a permanent switch, and played a total of 40 games for the club before a brief stint at Sheffield United and a return to China.
In other sports news, the Norwegian Gambling Authority announced that Norsk Tipping has allocated NOK930 million to sports organizations across Norway this year. This amount surpasses last year’s total by NOK60 million and primarily benefits the Norwegian Sports Federation and the Olympic and Paralympic Committee (NIF). The grant aims to support sports inclusion initiatives in Norway, focusing on children, young people, and individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, NOK11 million will be directed toward Tverga, a resource center for self-organized sports in Norway.
Veikkaus has secured a long-term extension of its partnership with the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, which will extend through 2030. Confirmed by Veikkaus, this partnership has been ongoing for several years and encompasses various initiatives involving the Finnish men’s and women’s national teams, the under-20 national team, and the Aurora League. Reija Laaksonen, Veikkaus’s executive vice president for people, culture and communications, expressed excitement about continuing the collaboration.
In the UK, The Pools has announced two senior appointments as part of its restructuring efforts. Chris Williams will now serve as head of product, bringing a decade of experience from roles at SIS Betting, Sky Betting & Gaming, and LiveScore Group. Matt Knowles will assume the role of head of CRM, having previously worked at BV Group, Betfair, Gamesys, and most recently, Betway Group, where he focused on global projects related to customer engagement and loyalty. Additionally, The Pools has appointed Sharon Wright as marketing director and Phillip Donegan as chief technology officer in recent weeks.
Lastly, Zeal Network is commemorating 25 years in business. Founded in 1999 as Tipp24, the company became the first in Germany to offer online lottery sales. After an IPO in 2005, it rebranded as Zeal Network and expanded further in 2019 with the acquisition of Lotto24. Based in Hamburg, Zeal Network now has over 1.3 million monthly users across its brands. CEO Helmut Becker remarked on the proud achievement of reaching this milestone, noting the journey from a two-person startup to a large group of companies with more than 250 employees, emphasizing their continued success in lottery brokerage and growth in market share.
