Huge match-fixing revealed

The European police agency (Europol) has revealed that a wide-ranging investigation into match-fixing has uncovered more than 380 suspicious matches.

Last Updated: 05/02/13 at 20:23 Post Comment

These games include World Cup and European Championship qualifiers and two UEFA Champions League games, one of which was in England.

Europol's chief Rob Wainwright said the investigation found "match fixing activity on a scale we have not seen before", with one of the matches an unnamed Champions League clash in England.

Wainwright revealed the probe uncovered around £7m in betting profits and £1.27m in bribes to players and officials and has already led to several prosecutions.

The investigation identified about 425 corrupt officials, players and serious criminals in 15 countries and 50 arrests have been made so far.

Wainwright also stated that the involvement of organised crime "highlights a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe" with Asian gambling cartels identified as part of the match fixing operation.

Wainwright would not reveal the identity of the Champions League match staged in England under suspicion due to "ongoing judicial proceedings" - but he did confirm it had taken place in the "last three to four years" and admitted England was not a country under particular scrutiny.

He said: "The focus has been on other countries, not the United Kingdom. However we were surprised by the scale generally of the criminal enterprise and just how widespread it was.

"It would be naive and complacent of those in the UK to think such a criminal conspiracy does not involve the English game and all the football in Europe."

Europol also found another 300 questionable games outside Europe, mainly in Africa, Asia, South and Central America.

There was though an element of mystery surrounding the investigation in England with the Football Association admitting they did not know about the probe.

A spokesman for the FA said: "The FA are not aware of any credible reports into suspicious Champions League fixtures in England, nor has any information been shared with us.

"While the Champions League comes under UEFA jurisdiction, The FA, alongside the Premier League, Football League and Conference, monitor markets for the top seven leagues and three major cup competitions in England and take matters of integrity in football extremely seriously."

Europe's football governing body stressed it had a zero-tolerance approach to match-fixing.

It added in a statement: "UEFA is aware of the statements made by Europol regarding the alleged match-fixing that has taken place in various football competitions and expects to receive further information in the coming days.

"As part of the fight against the manipulation of matches, UEFA is already co-operating with the authorities on these serious matters as part of its zero-tolerance policy towards match-fixing in our sport.

"Once the details of these investigations are in UEFA's hands, then they will be reviewed by the appropriate disciplinary bodies in order that the necessary measures are taken."

Football365 Facebook Fan Page

The Football365 fan page is a great place to meet like minded people, have football related discussions and make new friends.

Related News

Sky Bet

    • Retrieving latest Sky Bet odds

Most Commented

Readers' Comments

I

m starting to think Roman may never actually be happy at the top level. If he wants all conquering fancy football I wonder if he'd be better off buying a lower division side then paying outlandish salaries to attract high caliber players too good for the division.

john matrix
The Most Unsatisfying European Victory...

R

afa has to be favourite for the Everton job now, surely :) He'll realise his ambition to live and work on Merseyside again, get the best out of whoever plays for them, maybe win some cups and be thoroughly loathed by the toffee fans. What's not to like? Go ead, Ken, gimajob!

captbusby
Benitez basks in final glory

T

hat is arguably the least inspiring England I have ever seen. There is not a single name in that list that makes me think I might actually want to watch this team. Not a one.

harry hotspur
Carroll back in England squad

Footer 365

Bundesliga: Fortuna down in dramatic finale as Hoffenheim and Augsburg escape

Fortuna Dusseldorf were relegated from the Bundesliga as Hoffenheim and Augsburg staged final-day escape acts.

Hibs and Saints win, Dons draw

David Wotherspoon clinched a 1-0 win for Hibs over Dundee, while St Mirren also won and Aberdeen and Hearts shared a 1-1 draw.

League Two: Aidy Boothroyd promises Northampton will bounce back

Aidy Boothroyd has promised that Northampton will bounce back from the misery of their play-off final loss to Bradford.

Mail Box

James Collins Is Only 29. Tough Paper Round

He is one of a number of solid shouts for players that look old before their time. We also have the final words on lovely D-Beck and a rejection of end of season playoffs...

Without Posh, Becks Could Have Been Scholes

That's one opinion, but others give their thanks to the man. We also have ideas for a relegation playoff, happy memories of the season and a defence of Liverpool's campaign...

© 2013 British Sky Broadcasting Ltd. All Rights Reserved