Disappearing Once Targeted? ... Missing Chinese National Team Coach After World Cup Elimination

Former China National Football Team Coach Li Tie Missing After Being Summoned by Sports Administration
Led Team Since 2020... Stepped Down After Qatar Trip Fell Through
Last November, Tennis Player Peng Shuai Disappearance Revisited

Li Tie, former head coach of the China national football team (left in the photo). Photo by China Sina News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Controversy has arisen locally as another disappearance of a figure in the Chinese sports world has occurred. Following last year's disappearance of tennis player Peng Shuai after she accused a top official of sexual assault, the whereabouts of Li Tie, former head coach of the Chinese national football team, have now become unknown.

According to recent reports from local media outlet Sohu, former coach Li Tie lost contact after completing the Asian Football Confederation and Chinese Football Association (CFA) professional coaching course held in Dalian on the 10th.

A former Chinese football player, he began leading the national team in earnest from 2020. Under Li Tie's leadership, the team achieved four consecutive wins in the second round of the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup Asian qualifiers, advancing to the final round.

However, the team struggled during the final qualifying round. The Chinese national team, placed in Group B alongside Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia, managed only 1 win, 2 draws, and 3 losses (5 points), finishing in 5th place. The dream of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time in 20 years was effectively dashed, and criticism was directed at the coach. Amid rumors of dismissal, Li Tie ultimately stepped down from his position after one year without completing the final qualifiers.

According to the media, on the 10th, Li Tie was summoned to the General Administration of Sport of China, an agency under the State Council, and did not return. The General Administration of Sport oversees sports administration, and its head holds a position equivalent to the Minister of Sports.

Contrary to expectations that he would return within an hour, Li Tie did not appear even during the final group photo session, and contact with him was lost, the media reported. The exact reason for Li Tie's summons to the General Administration of Sport remains unknown. Some speculate that the agency may have held him responsible for the failure to qualify for Qatar, but this remains unconfirmed.

This is not the first time a sports figure in China has disappeared without a trace. In November last year, tennis player Peng Shuai accused Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier during President Xi Jinping's first term, of sexual assault on social media, then disappeared. The post was quickly deleted, and Peng Shuai's social media account was abruptly closed.

The international community expressed concern over Peng Shuai's sudden disappearance and unknown whereabouts. According to AFP, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated in a briefing, "The Chinese government must provide verifiable evidence regarding Peng Shuai's whereabouts and safety," and condemned "China's practice of silencing those who speak out about sexual assault." The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) also declared that if Peng Shuai's whereabouts were not clarified, it would withdraw its business from China despite potential losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

As the controversy grew, Chinese state media released an email Peng Shuai allegedly sent to WTA Chairman Steve Simon. The email stated, "I am not missing; I am just resting at home," and denied rumors of being unsafe or allegations of sexual assault. However, the authenticity of the email has not been verified.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.