Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese national men's soccer team, has appealed to a higher court after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for bribery-related crimes earlier this month, Beijing Television reported on Monday.

BTV posted an online statement saying that the Xianning Intermediate People's Court in Hubei province, which announced Li's conviction and sentence on Dec 13, has received Li's appeal.

The case will be appealed to the provincial high people's court for a second trial.

Li, 47, a native of Shenyang, Liaoning province, was a former professional soccer player who transitioned to coaching after retiring in 2012.

He has received widespread attention from the public since late 2022 when he was placed under investigation for suspected serious violations of the law.

In March this year, he pleaded guilty to bribery offenses at the Xianning court.

Evidence provided by prosecutors at that time not only showed how Li offered bribes to those who helped him become head of the national men's soccer team and head of the selection panel, but also proved how he accepted bribes after using the positions to benefit others, as well as engaging in bribe-taking and bribe-giving by using soccer clubs to cooperate in match-fixing.