UEFA suspend Bulgarian referee Anton Genov in match-fixing probe

UEFA have suspended Bulgarian referee Anton Genov, pending an investigation into his alleged involvement in helping to fix an international match as part of an apparent betting coup.

The governing body of European football stated there were obvious irregular betting patterns during a friendly match between Macedonia and Canada back in November.

Genov awarded four penalties, two to each side, during Macedonia's 3-0 win.

"After interviewing the referee in question, UEFA has decided not to appoint Anton Genov to any European matches until further notice," UEFA spokesman Rob Faulkner said in a statement.

Betting agencies were alerted by the number of bets being placed on combinations of at least three goals being scored and the number of penalties awarded.