Turkey's football federation has cleared all 16 Turkish teams, including Fenerbahce, of involvement in an alleged match-fixing scandal - but it also has banned two players for up to three years and imposed disciplinary measures on eight players or club officials.
The announcement came a week after the federation said an independent football ethics committee looking into the match-fixing allegations concluded that there was no evidence that alleged attempts to fix games had altered the course of the matches.
A total of 93 officials, players and coaches, including the president of reigning champion Fenerbahce, are on trial, accused of helping fix matches last season.
Ibrahim Akin of Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyesi has been banned for three years for allegedly fixing the result of a game when his team lost to Fenerbahce 2-0 on May 1, 2011.
Serdar Kulbilge of Genclerbirligi was slapped with a two-year ban for allegedly attempting to fix the result of a game that Fenerbahce won 4-2.
Fenerbahce was barred from this season's Champions League as a result of the investigation.
Showing posts with label Fixing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fixing. Show all posts
March 21, 2012
UEFA urges Turks to deal with match-fixing fast
European football's ruling body UEFA has urged Turkey to deal as quickly as possible with a domestic match-fixing scandal.
Turkish football has been shaken by a scandal in which 93 people, including the president of first division giants Fenerbahce, have been charged with rigging matches in the 2010-11 season.
UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, speaking ahead of a UEFA Congress Thursday, said Turkish football chiefs had to rule soon to determine whether players or clubs were to be sanctioned.
"The faster a decision is taken the better, not only for UEFA but for Turkey," said Infantino.
"We're speaking a lot with the Turkish federation, but we have to move quickly because it's a question of sport, we have to find out whether we should be preventing someone from participating or not.
"This decision must be taken quickly. For (national) league championships to run smoothly, questions must be answered quickly."
Infantino said such affairs were dealt with differently in Europe.
He added: "In Italy, where there is a specal law, in Germany or in Greece the length of time it takes to deal with such affairs is different.
"Here, we see that it goes on and on but we have to separate the disciplinary part of the affair from the criminal part."
Turkish football has been shaken by a scandal in which 93 people, including the president of first division giants Fenerbahce, have been charged with rigging matches in the 2010-11 season.
UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, speaking ahead of a UEFA Congress Thursday, said Turkish football chiefs had to rule soon to determine whether players or clubs were to be sanctioned.
"The faster a decision is taken the better, not only for UEFA but for Turkey," said Infantino.
"We're speaking a lot with the Turkish federation, but we have to move quickly because it's a question of sport, we have to find out whether we should be preventing someone from participating or not.
"This decision must be taken quickly. For (national) league championships to run smoothly, questions must be answered quickly."
Infantino said such affairs were dealt with differently in Europe.
He added: "In Italy, where there is a specal law, in Germany or in Greece the length of time it takes to deal with such affairs is different.
"Here, we see that it goes on and on but we have to separate the disciplinary part of the affair from the criminal part."
March 20, 2012
Platini wants match-fixers criminalised
UEFA president Michel Platini on Thursday called for match-fixing to be criminalised in all European countries.
"Let's not accept the autonomy of sport to be an obstacle to intervention by public authorities," Platini told a Council of Europe conference of sports ministers.
"We have to deal with a real problem of a political order, therefore we will regulate it not only with the means (available) to sports federations."
Platini urged the states participating in the conference to "declare match fixing illegal". "Judicial and police cooperation between the European countries must be able to break the power of the criminals," he insisted.
The Council of Europe called for all nations to adopt similar stances towards match-fixing.
"A harmonization of norms and adoption of penal sanctions for sporting frauds will be necessary as there are only several countries that have such codes", Anne Brasseur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly told AFP.
Platini also noted that European teams "accumulated more than 1.6 billion euros ($ two billion) losses in 2010".
"At the same time, they (the clubs) have never gained so much money," he said, renewing his call for financial discipline in football.
Such a situation has shown a "fragility of the system that has converted some of these clubs into gigantic casinos," he said.
"Let's not accept the autonomy of sport to be an obstacle to intervention by public authorities," Platini told a Council of Europe conference of sports ministers.
"We have to deal with a real problem of a political order, therefore we will regulate it not only with the means (available) to sports federations."
Platini urged the states participating in the conference to "declare match fixing illegal". "Judicial and police cooperation between the European countries must be able to break the power of the criminals," he insisted.
The Council of Europe called for all nations to adopt similar stances towards match-fixing.
"A harmonization of norms and adoption of penal sanctions for sporting frauds will be necessary as there are only several countries that have such codes", Anne Brasseur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly told AFP.
Platini also noted that European teams "accumulated more than 1.6 billion euros ($ two billion) losses in 2010".
"At the same time, they (the clubs) have never gained so much money," he said, renewing his call for financial discipline in football.
Such a situation has shown a "fragility of the system that has converted some of these clubs into gigantic casinos," he said.
March 11, 2012
Cricket under siege from corrupt bookmakers and a Bollywood star
The International Cricket Council has begun an inquiry into a network of corrupt bookmakers claiming to be able to fix the results of international fixtures and English county games.
The move follows an investigation into match fixing by The Sunday Times, including allegations that bookmakers on the Indian subcontinent have targeted international players, including several in England, using a Bollywood actress.
Officials were alerted by four players who reported her suspicious approaches to them. The investigation shows the sophistication and scale of the corruption and reveals that, despite the recent jailing of three Pakistan international players and an English county bowler for cheating, that cricketing authorities are under siege.
By infiltrating the network of bookmakers and secretly filming meetings, The Sunday Times established that:
Tens of thousands of pounds are on offer to fix matches, typically pound stg. 44,000 ($65,000) to batsmen for slow scoring; pound stg. 50,000 for bowlers who concede runs; and as much as pound stg. 750,000 to players or officials who can guarantee the outcome of a match.
Match fixers boast of recruiting players who come from England, New Zealand, West Indies, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh to throw part, or all, of international fixtures, including last year's World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan.
The bookies are increasingly turning their attention to English county games because "nobody monitors them".
Corruption has grown to the point where, according to Indian law enforcement officials, it has become endemic.
The revelation that English county cricket is being targeted will add to concerns raised by the recent jailing of the Essex cricketer Mervyn Westfield. The 23-year-old was given a four-month prison term last month after admitting he had received pound stg. 6000 to concede at least 12 runs in his first over in a 2009 game against Durham.
Undercover reporters working for The Sunday Times captured Vicky Seth, an influential Delhi bookmaker, boasting that he could fix big international events such as Test matches, Twenty20s, and games in both the Indian Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League, adding that "English county cricket is a good new market. They are low-profile matches and nobody monitors them. That's why good money can be made without any hassle if we can get players to play for us".
Another bookie, known as Monubhai, claimed he worked with players from most cricketing nations to fix games, and had recently been offered a chance to sign up New Zealanders.
An ICC spokesman said: "We will launch an inquiry into these serious allegations. Betting on cricket in the legal and illegal markets continues to grow rapidly . . . the threat of corrupters seeking to influence the game has not gone away."
The move follows an investigation into match fixing by The Sunday Times, including allegations that bookmakers on the Indian subcontinent have targeted international players, including several in England, using a Bollywood actress.
Officials were alerted by four players who reported her suspicious approaches to them. The investigation shows the sophistication and scale of the corruption and reveals that, despite the recent jailing of three Pakistan international players and an English county bowler for cheating, that cricketing authorities are under siege.
By infiltrating the network of bookmakers and secretly filming meetings, The Sunday Times established that:
Tens of thousands of pounds are on offer to fix matches, typically pound stg. 44,000 ($65,000) to batsmen for slow scoring; pound stg. 50,000 for bowlers who concede runs; and as much as pound stg. 750,000 to players or officials who can guarantee the outcome of a match.
Match fixers boast of recruiting players who come from England, New Zealand, West Indies, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh to throw part, or all, of international fixtures, including last year's World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan.
The bookies are increasingly turning their attention to English county games because "nobody monitors them".
Corruption has grown to the point where, according to Indian law enforcement officials, it has become endemic.
The revelation that English county cricket is being targeted will add to concerns raised by the recent jailing of the Essex cricketer Mervyn Westfield. The 23-year-old was given a four-month prison term last month after admitting he had received pound stg. 6000 to concede at least 12 runs in his first over in a 2009 game against Durham.
Undercover reporters working for The Sunday Times captured Vicky Seth, an influential Delhi bookmaker, boasting that he could fix big international events such as Test matches, Twenty20s, and games in both the Indian Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League, adding that "English county cricket is a good new market. They are low-profile matches and nobody monitors them. That's why good money can be made without any hassle if we can get players to play for us".
Another bookie, known as Monubhai, claimed he worked with players from most cricketing nations to fix games, and had recently been offered a chance to sign up New Zealanders.
An ICC spokesman said: "We will launch an inquiry into these serious allegations. Betting on cricket in the legal and illegal markets continues to grow rapidly . . . the threat of corrupters seeking to influence the game has not gone away."
March 05, 2012
Former Interpol director Ralf Mutschke named as FIFA's director of security
FIFA has been quick to fill the gap to be left in May when Chris Eaton, their director of security, leaves after becoming arguably the game's most high-profile figure in the battle against global match fixing.
Eaton is joining the Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) and will be replaced at FIFA by highly-qualified German law enforcement official Ralf Mutschke (pictured).
The 52-year-old is currently senior manager at the German Federal Criminal Police Office and a former Interpol director and takes up his new role on June 1.
FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke said the division will be beefed up under Mutschke's supervision.
"We have decided to strengthen the former security department, making it into a full division in order to continue to tackle all issues related to football security and the protection of the integrity of the game," said Valcke.
"This is another major step in our determination to ensure a clean and safe sport and to underline our commitment to the fight against match fixing in football."
Mutschke set out his priority as "the integrity of FIFA competitions...match fixing, betting fraud and corruption".
He has 33 years of experience and used to work under Helmut Spahn – the ICSS's executive director who managed to prize Eaton away.
Mutschke said he took on the position because the integrity of sport was "hugely at risk".
"The values of fair play, respect, discipline and honesty are under threat," he told fifa.com.
"I think I can make a good contribution.
"I spent ten years on the beat fighting drug dealing and organised criminality, and I've now been working in police management for around 20 years, developing crime-fighting strategies and organising day-to-day police work.
"We'll need to cooperate closely with security authorities at a domestic and international level, which is where my experience will help."
Eaton is joining the Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) and will be replaced at FIFA by highly-qualified German law enforcement official Ralf Mutschke (pictured).
The 52-year-old is currently senior manager at the German Federal Criminal Police Office and a former Interpol director and takes up his new role on June 1.
FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke said the division will be beefed up under Mutschke's supervision.
"This is another major step in our determination to ensure a clean and safe sport and to underline our commitment to the fight against match fixing in football."
Mutschke set out his priority as "the integrity of FIFA competitions...match fixing, betting fraud and corruption".
He has 33 years of experience and used to work under Helmut Spahn – the ICSS's executive director who managed to prize Eaton away.
Mutschke said he took on the position because the integrity of sport was "hugely at risk".
"The values of fair play, respect, discipline and honesty are under threat," he told fifa.com.
"I think I can make a good contribution.
"I spent ten years on the beat fighting drug dealing and organised criminality, and I've now been working in police management for around 20 years, developing crime-fighting strategies and organising day-to-day police work.
"We'll need to cooperate closely with security authorities at a domestic and international level, which is where my experience will help."
January 31, 2012
Zimbabwe rocked by matchfixing bans
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has suspended 67 players from the national team after revelations of widespread matchfixing.
A member of the coaching staff, Joey Antipas, also admitted to having accepted bribes from an Asian betting syndicate led by Wilson Raj Perumal, a man jailed in Finland as a result of his involvement in match fixing.
According to the Associated Press, ZIFA uncovered that players and the coach were paid sums of money to lose exhibition matches on trips to Asia from 2007 to 2009.
Notable players that have been banned until further notice are Method Mwanjali, Daniel Vheremu, Benjamin Marere, Thomas Sweswe, Nyasha Mushekwi, Khama Billiat, and Ovidy Karuru.
The decision to suspend the players came during an emergency board meeting to determine the causes for Zimbabwe’s elimination from 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying.
The suspended elements will be unable to represent their country unless they are able to clear the body’s ethics committee.
Players and coaches have not been the only ones affected by the probe as ZIFA was forced to suspend three of its own board members for their possible involvement in the scandal.
A member of the coaching staff, Joey Antipas, also admitted to having accepted bribes from an Asian betting syndicate led by Wilson Raj Perumal, a man jailed in Finland as a result of his involvement in match fixing.
According to the Associated Press, ZIFA uncovered that players and the coach were paid sums of money to lose exhibition matches on trips to Asia from 2007 to 2009.
Notable players that have been banned until further notice are Method Mwanjali, Daniel Vheremu, Benjamin Marere, Thomas Sweswe, Nyasha Mushekwi, Khama Billiat, and Ovidy Karuru.
The decision to suspend the players came during an emergency board meeting to determine the causes for Zimbabwe’s elimination from 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying.
The suspended elements will be unable to represent their country unless they are able to clear the body’s ethics committee.
Players and coaches have not been the only ones affected by the probe as ZIFA was forced to suspend three of its own board members for their possible involvement in the scandal.
December 09, 2011
Gambling Patterns Indicate that 2011 Gold Cup Was Fixed?
The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup that eventually concluded with a thrilling 4-2 Mexico victory over the U.S. captivated soccer fans this past summer. It drew record attendance throughout the proceedings, and that record attendance was eventually capped off with a 93,420-person showing at the Rose Bowl for the final.
According to a new Sports Illustrated report, however, there were also apparently instances of match-fixing occurring throughout.
"There has been information that some matches in the Gold Cup were manipulated," FIFA head of security Chris Eaton confirmed to Grant Wahl of SI.com. "We worked with CONCACAF at the time, and CONCACAF have been very interested in following up any information that can be revealed in the future on that."
And what specifically led them to this conclusion? Irregular betting patterns over the course of the tournament were prevalent, it seems. Sports Illustrated approached a leading betting-industry expert while researching their report, and he admitted that strange patterns led him to be suspicious of every game featuring Cuba and Grenada, as well as El Salvador’s 5-0 defeat to Mexico in the Gold Cup.
SI noted:
The games involving Grenada (which lost three matches by a combined 15-1) and Cuba (which was outscored 16-1), the insider said, stood out: "It was the sort of thing where we sat around and said, 'Yeah, this looks like it's a 99 percent chance that it's bent.'"
Interestingly enough, the betting that reportedly took place in this instance wasn’t the kind that traditionally springs to mind when it comes to sports gambling. Rather, it was “in-running betting” in which wagers are placed over the course of the game on things that will happen from the point at which the bet was made, going forward.
"With Cuba and Grenada, yes, they're terrible, but there's lots of other teams that are also terrible, and generally those of us in soccer betting are used to pricing out these sorts of games, where you have very good against very bad," the expert told SI. "We see them a lot in the World Cup and European Championship qualifying. What I would say is that the odds movements for in-running betting [in Cuba and Grenada's Gold Cup games] were just incredibly, incredibly unusual and extreme. We're talking about five to 10 times what you would typically see. And these extreme odds movements would be subsequently vindicated by what was happening on the field."
Despite the murmurs of improprieties, though, nothing has been proven as of yet. If there was any wrongdoing, however, more investigations will no doubt chip away at the wall of secrecy that has been built around soccer-related gambling controversies over the last few decades.
According to a new Sports Illustrated report, however, there were also apparently instances of match-fixing occurring throughout.
"There has been information that some matches in the Gold Cup were manipulated," FIFA head of security Chris Eaton confirmed to Grant Wahl of SI.com. "We worked with CONCACAF at the time, and CONCACAF have been very interested in following up any information that can be revealed in the future on that."
And what specifically led them to this conclusion? Irregular betting patterns over the course of the tournament were prevalent, it seems. Sports Illustrated approached a leading betting-industry expert while researching their report, and he admitted that strange patterns led him to be suspicious of every game featuring Cuba and Grenada, as well as El Salvador’s 5-0 defeat to Mexico in the Gold Cup.
SI noted:
The games involving Grenada (which lost three matches by a combined 15-1) and Cuba (which was outscored 16-1), the insider said, stood out: "It was the sort of thing where we sat around and said, 'Yeah, this looks like it's a 99 percent chance that it's bent.'"
Interestingly enough, the betting that reportedly took place in this instance wasn’t the kind that traditionally springs to mind when it comes to sports gambling. Rather, it was “in-running betting” in which wagers are placed over the course of the game on things that will happen from the point at which the bet was made, going forward.
"With Cuba and Grenada, yes, they're terrible, but there's lots of other teams that are also terrible, and generally those of us in soccer betting are used to pricing out these sorts of games, where you have very good against very bad," the expert told SI. "We see them a lot in the World Cup and European Championship qualifying. What I would say is that the odds movements for in-running betting [in Cuba and Grenada's Gold Cup games] were just incredibly, incredibly unusual and extreme. We're talking about five to 10 times what you would typically see. And these extreme odds movements would be subsequently vindicated by what was happening on the field."
Despite the murmurs of improprieties, though, nothing has been proven as of yet. If there was any wrongdoing, however, more investigations will no doubt chip away at the wall of secrecy that has been built around soccer-related gambling controversies over the last few decades.
December 08, 2011
UEFA, ARJEL find no unusual betting in Lyon's 7-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb in Champions League
An investigation into Lyon's unlikely 7-1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb failed to turn up any unusual betting patterns, and even UEFA said Thursday it found nothing suspicious about the outcome.
ARJEL, France's online gambling regulator, routinely looks into "atypical" scorelines, but said it found nothing out of the ordinary — either in the total amount gambled online with French operators, the number of bets, their spread, or in how odds evolved during the game.
The lopsided result helped Lyon advance to the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday. That, combined with the apparent ease with which it scored some of its goals, sparked talk that the match may have been fixed.
Ajax, the team that was eliminated on goal difference after losing to Real Madrid 3-0, asked for a UEFA investigation into Lyon's match.
"By asking a number of open questions, we at least expect to get a clear reaction from their side," Ajax interim director Martin Sturkenboom said. "Doing nothing is not an option. This way, we protect our position for the future should something irregular surface."
UEFA's gambling fraud detection system, which taps into information from more than 400 betting companies and monitors 29,000 games per season, is designed to spot telltale suspicious gambling patterns that could point to match-fixing.
"For the time being this system has not shown any irregular betting patterns around (Wednesday's) games or their outcome that would justify any enquiry on that front," UEFA said.
"UEFA also pays a lot of attention to the sporting behaviour on the pitch and we are currently waiting to receive the reports of the referee, referee observer and match delegate to see if, in their opinion, something suspicious might have happened. If there is anything in these reports that could raise a doubt, UEFA may then charge a disciplinary inspector to investigate the matter. But there is nothing at this stage that would justify doing so."
For some, suspicions were aroused by an apparent wink that Dinamo defender Domagoj Vida appeared to direct at Bafetimbi Gomis as he helped the Lyon forward pluck the ball out of the net after Lisandro scored the French team's fifth goal.
"I have no doubts whatsoever about the integrity of the match or the competition," UEFA President Michel Platini said after an executive committee meeting in Venice, Italy. "I believe in this competition and I believe in the integrity of the players in this competition."
ARJEL's regulatory powers over online gambling in France include combating fraud. The agency said probing matches that, for whatever reason, are deemed to be suspicious is one of its duties.
Lyon said in a statement on its website that ARJEL was simply following its procedures by carrying out postgame checks.
"The club totally approves of this action which is undertaken whenever a sporting result is considered atypical," Lyon said.
It also appeared to frown on suspicious mutterings about the result, saying it "regrets that comments are not being limited to the sporting aspect of an incredible exploit both for Olympique Lyonnais and for French football."
In Croatia, Dinamo issued a statement describing speculation about the result as "shameful, malicious and tendentious."
"(It's) a defeat that was hard to imagine," Dinamo said, noting that coach Krunoslav Jurcic was fired because of it. "A team that was more powerful, superior in numbers and had greater motivation ... won yesterday."
Dinamo midfielder Jerko Leko was sent off in the 28th minute for collecting two yellow cards in quick succession. Lyon failed to score before that and even trailed 1-0 in the first half before its unlikely comeback.
Gomis led the rout with four goals, including a seven-minute hat trick — the fastest ever in the Champions League. Besides Lisandro, Maxime Gonalons and Jimmy Briand also scored.
Because only a win and a deluge of goals would do it, Lyon looked extremely unlikely to qualify ahead of Ajax in Group D. Lyon coach Remi Garde was quoted as saying that qualification was "unimaginable."
The front-page headline of French sports daily L'Equipe on Thursday was "Miraculous!"
Ajax needed only a draw at home in the other Group D match against a below-strength Real Madrid to qualify ahead of Lyon. Instead, it lost 3-0. Ajax coach Frank de Boer said Dinamo could have made it harder for Lyon to pull off its stunning feat.
"I know that if you are down to 10 men, as they were after a half hour, I think, that if you play 4-4-1 and you are 1-0 up then you can make it very hard for your opponent," De Boer said. "I've heard that the goals were very easy. But we have to look to ourselves. We didn't do well enough. We should have got a minimum of a point and we didn't."
ARJEL, France's online gambling regulator, routinely looks into "atypical" scorelines, but said it found nothing out of the ordinary — either in the total amount gambled online with French operators, the number of bets, their spread, or in how odds evolved during the game.
The lopsided result helped Lyon advance to the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday. That, combined with the apparent ease with which it scored some of its goals, sparked talk that the match may have been fixed.
Ajax, the team that was eliminated on goal difference after losing to Real Madrid 3-0, asked for a UEFA investigation into Lyon's match.
"By asking a number of open questions, we at least expect to get a clear reaction from their side," Ajax interim director Martin Sturkenboom said. "Doing nothing is not an option. This way, we protect our position for the future should something irregular surface."
UEFA's gambling fraud detection system, which taps into information from more than 400 betting companies and monitors 29,000 games per season, is designed to spot telltale suspicious gambling patterns that could point to match-fixing.
"For the time being this system has not shown any irregular betting patterns around (Wednesday's) games or their outcome that would justify any enquiry on that front," UEFA said.
"UEFA also pays a lot of attention to the sporting behaviour on the pitch and we are currently waiting to receive the reports of the referee, referee observer and match delegate to see if, in their opinion, something suspicious might have happened. If there is anything in these reports that could raise a doubt, UEFA may then charge a disciplinary inspector to investigate the matter. But there is nothing at this stage that would justify doing so."
For some, suspicions were aroused by an apparent wink that Dinamo defender Domagoj Vida appeared to direct at Bafetimbi Gomis as he helped the Lyon forward pluck the ball out of the net after Lisandro scored the French team's fifth goal.
"I have no doubts whatsoever about the integrity of the match or the competition," UEFA President Michel Platini said after an executive committee meeting in Venice, Italy. "I believe in this competition and I believe in the integrity of the players in this competition."
ARJEL's regulatory powers over online gambling in France include combating fraud. The agency said probing matches that, for whatever reason, are deemed to be suspicious is one of its duties.
Lyon said in a statement on its website that ARJEL was simply following its procedures by carrying out postgame checks.
"The club totally approves of this action which is undertaken whenever a sporting result is considered atypical," Lyon said.
It also appeared to frown on suspicious mutterings about the result, saying it "regrets that comments are not being limited to the sporting aspect of an incredible exploit both for Olympique Lyonnais and for French football."
In Croatia, Dinamo issued a statement describing speculation about the result as "shameful, malicious and tendentious."
"(It's) a defeat that was hard to imagine," Dinamo said, noting that coach Krunoslav Jurcic was fired because of it. "A team that was more powerful, superior in numbers and had greater motivation ... won yesterday."
Dinamo midfielder Jerko Leko was sent off in the 28th minute for collecting two yellow cards in quick succession. Lyon failed to score before that and even trailed 1-0 in the first half before its unlikely comeback.
Gomis led the rout with four goals, including a seven-minute hat trick — the fastest ever in the Champions League. Besides Lisandro, Maxime Gonalons and Jimmy Briand also scored.
Because only a win and a deluge of goals would do it, Lyon looked extremely unlikely to qualify ahead of Ajax in Group D. Lyon coach Remi Garde was quoted as saying that qualification was "unimaginable."
The front-page headline of French sports daily L'Equipe on Thursday was "Miraculous!"
Ajax needed only a draw at home in the other Group D match against a below-strength Real Madrid to qualify ahead of Lyon. Instead, it lost 3-0. Ajax coach Frank de Boer said Dinamo could have made it harder for Lyon to pull off its stunning feat.
"I know that if you are down to 10 men, as they were after a half hour, I think, that if you play 4-4-1 and you are 1-0 up then you can make it very hard for your opponent," De Boer said. "I've heard that the goals were very easy. But we have to look to ourselves. We didn't do well enough. We should have got a minimum of a point and we didn't."
November 02, 2011
Pakistan spot-fixing scandal: ICC needed News of the World to supply bullets
But match-fixing is a reality with which cricket followers in other countries have learned to cope – or else they have switched off the game altogether.
In the heyday of match-fixing in England, we did not do it for anything so sordid as money. It was good old-fashioned barter: we will lose this championship game if you let us win the Sunday League match. Only on one occasion that I know of was betting involved, and that cannot be revealed here, as the law tends to bat on the side of the fixer.
But from the 1990s, according to Justice Cooke during his summing up, and a few years earlier by other reckonings, fixing for money spread through south Asia – and through quite a few cricketers from other countries who played in south Asia.
Pakistan were first to grasp this stinging nettle. In 1999 their government appointed Justice Qayyum to inquire. As usual there, nothing was straightforward: rumours circulated about the game the judge was playing, and about the pressure the government put on him to make his sentences mild.
Nevertheless, former Pakistan captain Salim Malik was banned for life in 2000. Here at last was certifiable evidence that something was rotten in the state of international cricket.
Malik still lives in Lahore but does little more than play golf, go to his club, and brood – with some reason. He is the only one still carrying the can. All the others shamed and fined by Qayyum have come again, and risen to equal heights of eminence as coaches and commentators, without a single act of contrition.
India came next, and did the best job so far. Their Central Bureau of Investigation did not, like the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, simply wash and wring their hands. The CBI used 'robust' interrogation techniques, firstly to make the Indian bank clerk-turned-bookmaker MK Gupta sing, which he did, like a lark, telling them all about his fixes.
The CBI then grilled the Indian cricketers named by Gupta. Of course, one or two were too famous to be brought down. But at least the Indian captain, Mohammad Azharuddin, and the one-day vice-captain Ajay Jadeja, were banned, and a few more besides. Not that anyone pleaded guilty, as in Pakistan: it would be more than your life was worth to confess.
Unfortunately the CBI could not grill any of the non-Indian players that Gupta had spoken of dealing with. Most Test-playing countries had at least one international player who had dealt with him, and their boards all did an excellent job in blocking like nightwatchmen, until the media went away.
Only the mafia did not go away. The period around 2000 and 2001 when India and Pakistan held inquiries, and when the late Hansie Cronje confessed in South Africa, was the window: the moment when the sport's governing bodies, fired by the indignation of cricket followers, might just have broken the links between the south Asian mafia and the dressing-room. But there were too many skeletons in too many cupboards, the moment passed, and match-fixing became much more discreet, if no less systemic.
The King Inquiry in South Africa was a classic. The terms of reference were so limited that the lid could only be opened a little – and as soon as Cronje made a confession it was closed, so no more damage could be done to the national image. A partial confession too, some would say, as he got no further than exposing a couple of his non-white players, Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams.
Since then, until Tuesday, virtually nothing. In the last decade the ICC has pinned Kenya's captain, Maurice Odumbe, and banned him for five years, but that was for 'associating with a known bookmaker'. The only other player who has been banned (for two years), Marlon Samuels of the West Indies, was guilty of nothing more than naivety in talking to a punter.
The ICC have now equipped themselves to fire shots, but they needed the News of the World to supply the bullets, when their own ACSU should have done so.
In the heyday of match-fixing in England, we did not do it for anything so sordid as money. It was good old-fashioned barter: we will lose this championship game if you let us win the Sunday League match. Only on one occasion that I know of was betting involved, and that cannot be revealed here, as the law tends to bat on the side of the fixer.
But from the 1990s, according to Justice Cooke during his summing up, and a few years earlier by other reckonings, fixing for money spread through south Asia – and through quite a few cricketers from other countries who played in south Asia.
Pakistan were first to grasp this stinging nettle. In 1999 their government appointed Justice Qayyum to inquire. As usual there, nothing was straightforward: rumours circulated about the game the judge was playing, and about the pressure the government put on him to make his sentences mild.
Nevertheless, former Pakistan captain Salim Malik was banned for life in 2000. Here at last was certifiable evidence that something was rotten in the state of international cricket.
Malik still lives in Lahore but does little more than play golf, go to his club, and brood – with some reason. He is the only one still carrying the can. All the others shamed and fined by Qayyum have come again, and risen to equal heights of eminence as coaches and commentators, without a single act of contrition.
India came next, and did the best job so far. Their Central Bureau of Investigation did not, like the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, simply wash and wring their hands. The CBI used 'robust' interrogation techniques, firstly to make the Indian bank clerk-turned-bookmaker MK Gupta sing, which he did, like a lark, telling them all about his fixes.
The CBI then grilled the Indian cricketers named by Gupta. Of course, one or two were too famous to be brought down. But at least the Indian captain, Mohammad Azharuddin, and the one-day vice-captain Ajay Jadeja, were banned, and a few more besides. Not that anyone pleaded guilty, as in Pakistan: it would be more than your life was worth to confess.
Unfortunately the CBI could not grill any of the non-Indian players that Gupta had spoken of dealing with. Most Test-playing countries had at least one international player who had dealt with him, and their boards all did an excellent job in blocking like nightwatchmen, until the media went away.
Only the mafia did not go away. The period around 2000 and 2001 when India and Pakistan held inquiries, and when the late Hansie Cronje confessed in South Africa, was the window: the moment when the sport's governing bodies, fired by the indignation of cricket followers, might just have broken the links between the south Asian mafia and the dressing-room. But there were too many skeletons in too many cupboards, the moment passed, and match-fixing became much more discreet, if no less systemic.
The King Inquiry in South Africa was a classic. The terms of reference were so limited that the lid could only be opened a little – and as soon as Cronje made a confession it was closed, so no more damage could be done to the national image. A partial confession too, some would say, as he got no further than exposing a couple of his non-white players, Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams.
Since then, until Tuesday, virtually nothing. In the last decade the ICC has pinned Kenya's captain, Maurice Odumbe, and banned him for five years, but that was for 'associating with a known bookmaker'. The only other player who has been banned (for two years), Marlon Samuels of the West Indies, was guilty of nothing more than naivety in talking to a punter.
The ICC have now equipped themselves to fire shots, but they needed the News of the World to supply the bullets, when their own ACSU should have done so.
October 06, 2011
Motherwell FC footballer arrested following betting probe
A footballer for Scottish Premier League side Motherwell FC has been arrested at his home by Merseyside Police following allegations of betting irregularities in a match last December.
Stewart Regan, chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, confirmed that the Scottish FA had received notification from the UK Gambling Commission that midfielder Steve Jennings had been arrested.
“This follows extensive enquiries in relation to alleged betting irregularities at a Scottish Premier League match between Motherwell and Hearts on December 14, 2010,” said Regan in a statement this morning. “While the investigation involves several other individuals out with Scotland, it is important to stress that the evidence gathered throughout this thorough period of investigation has involved only one Scottish match.
“Motherwell FC are aware of the situation and will issue a response in due course. The Scottish FA will make no further comment at this stage.”
During the match against Hearts at Fir Park, Jennings was sent off near the end of the game for dissent against the referee after his side were refused a penalty. Bookmaker Blue Square reported several large bets that day on a Motherwell player being sent off during the game.
Jennings is one of nine men arrested by Mersey Police across Merseyside and Glasgow in a joint operation with the Gambling Commission for conspiracy to defraud.
Meanwhile in Australia, National Rugby League player Ryan Tandy has been found guilty of match-fixing in relation to a match involving the North Queensland Cowboys and the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs last August.
The 30-year old former Canterbury player escaped a jail sentence but has been handed a AUD$4,000 fine and a 12 month good behaviour bond by magistrate Janet Wahlquist. He is like to be banned for life from the game however, after the NRL reaffirmed that it will impose life bans on any persons convicted of match-fixing.
The NRL said that there are a number of other legal matters still to be heard in connection with the investigation and that given the time of the season and the imminent nature of those hearings, the NRL will reserve imposing any penalties on any person found guilty of fixing any part of a match until such time as those matters are resolved.
“Clearly there remain some complex legal arguments to be heard and the rights of individuals through that process must be respected,” said NRL chief executive, David Gallop. “The outcome for anyone found guilty of interfering with a match for any improper purpose could not be more apparent.
“From the outset, the NRL has involved independent investigators and sought the assistance of the NSW Police in dealing with betting irregularities around the first scoring option in this match and we remain convinced that was and remains best course of action.
“We welcome the assistance of the authorities in treating these matters seriously and look forward to the conclusion of all proceedings. We also welcome Federal and State Governments’ recognition of the importance of giving sports the legislative support and regulatory assistance in dealing with sports betting issues. We look forward to seeing these policies finalised across all states.”
Stewart Regan, chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, confirmed that the Scottish FA had received notification from the UK Gambling Commission that midfielder Steve Jennings had been arrested.
“This follows extensive enquiries in relation to alleged betting irregularities at a Scottish Premier League match between Motherwell and Hearts on December 14, 2010,” said Regan in a statement this morning. “While the investigation involves several other individuals out with Scotland, it is important to stress that the evidence gathered throughout this thorough period of investigation has involved only one Scottish match.
“Motherwell FC are aware of the situation and will issue a response in due course. The Scottish FA will make no further comment at this stage.”
During the match against Hearts at Fir Park, Jennings was sent off near the end of the game for dissent against the referee after his side were refused a penalty. Bookmaker Blue Square reported several large bets that day on a Motherwell player being sent off during the game.
Jennings is one of nine men arrested by Mersey Police across Merseyside and Glasgow in a joint operation with the Gambling Commission for conspiracy to defraud.
Meanwhile in Australia, National Rugby League player Ryan Tandy has been found guilty of match-fixing in relation to a match involving the North Queensland Cowboys and the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs last August.
The 30-year old former Canterbury player escaped a jail sentence but has been handed a AUD$4,000 fine and a 12 month good behaviour bond by magistrate Janet Wahlquist. He is like to be banned for life from the game however, after the NRL reaffirmed that it will impose life bans on any persons convicted of match-fixing.
The NRL said that there are a number of other legal matters still to be heard in connection with the investigation and that given the time of the season and the imminent nature of those hearings, the NRL will reserve imposing any penalties on any person found guilty of fixing any part of a match until such time as those matters are resolved.
“Clearly there remain some complex legal arguments to be heard and the rights of individuals through that process must be respected,” said NRL chief executive, David Gallop. “The outcome for anyone found guilty of interfering with a match for any improper purpose could not be more apparent.
“From the outset, the NRL has involved independent investigators and sought the assistance of the NSW Police in dealing with betting irregularities around the first scoring option in this match and we remain convinced that was and remains best course of action.
“We welcome the assistance of the authorities in treating these matters seriously and look forward to the conclusion of all proceedings. We also welcome Federal and State Governments’ recognition of the importance of giving sports the legislative support and regulatory assistance in dealing with sports betting issues. We look forward to seeing these policies finalised across all states.”
August 04, 2011
World Cup 2014: Shadow of alleged match-fixing already haunting competition
The preliminary draw for Brazil’s World Cup took place on Saturday but already the shadow of alleged match-fixing has touched the 2014 qualifying tournament.
The threat of fixing was highlighted by Fifa president Sepp Blatter prior to the draw in Rio and Telegraph Sport can disclose that one of the early rounds of Asian qualifying has been internally investigated following allegations of manipulation.
Fifa investigators have been alerted to unusual betting patterns in connection with the two-legged tie between Cambodia and Laos in the first round of the Asian Football Confederation qualifying zone.
Both countries were eliminated before the preliminary draw in Rio, but the case highlights the rash of match-fixing allegations that have touched teams in more than 50 countries.
The first game in Phnom Penh on June 29 was won 4-2 by Cambodia, with the return in Vientiane on July 3 won by Laos 6-2 after extra time, enough for them to progress to the second round. The second leg was followed by accusations in Cambodia that the game was manipulated, and Telegraph Sport understands that data from betting monitoring software, including the Early Warning System used by Fifa, has highlighted unusual patterns, particularly in the first game.
The last goal in that game, scored by Cambodia in the 88th minute, attracted highly unusual betting patterns. With 86 minutes gone Cambodia were five-to-one on to score again on Asian handicap markets, an extreme price.
According to footage of the game on YouTube, Cambodia had two goals disallowed in the last six minutes, after 84 and 86 minutes, and Laos had a penalty appeal turned down in the 88th minute shortly before Cambodia’s Samel Nasa scored.
The second leg finished 4-2 to Laos after 90 minutes, with two further goals in extra time sealing their progress to the second round, where they lost to China 13-3 on aggregate.
Fifa would not comment on whether the case was part of its ongoing investigation into match fixing.
In a statement Fifa said: “We cannot confirm or deny any specific investigation taking place on these matches”.
The Football Federation of Cambodia carried out an internal investigation after receiving allegations that the games might have been manipulated, but has found no evidence of match-fixing.
In an emailed response to questions May Tola, the deputy general-secretary of the FFC, said that it had heard “unconfirmed rumours” about the tie, and that supporters had made accusations after the disappointment of the second-leg defeat.
“Some had accused players of result manipulation,” Tola wrote.
“Immediately after the team returned home, our FFC leadership has instructed the federation to form an investigation commission to find out if there is any irregularities as rumoured accusation [sic].
“After thorough examination and discussion, the Commission has found no substantial evidence or suspicion that the match had been manipulated by players or whosoevers [sic] within the team.”
The acting president of the Asian Football Confederation told Telegraph Sport that while he was not aware of any direct evidence that the Cambodia v Laos games were “not genuinely contested”, the allegations underlined “the destructive nature of match-fixing”.
Zhang Jilong, of China, who became acting president when Mohamed bin Hammam was suspended by Fifa, described match-fixing as a “pandemic” in world football, and is hoping to open a dedicated Fifa security office in Asia next year.
Jilong said: “There is no doubt that match-fixing is a real danger to football’s ethical values and needs to be completely eliminated to preserve the sanctity of the sport.
"AFC will not rest until this plague is completely stamped out in Asia.”
Asia is considered the hub of match-fixing and Jilong is in talks with Fifa’s security department to open a dedicated security office in Asia by the start of 2012.
The latest concerns come as Fifa prepares to take disciplinary action against six match officials involved in two notorious internationals staged in Antalya, Turkey, in February, in which all seven goals were penalties.
The referees, from Hungary and Bosnia, have been summoned to appear at a disciplinary hearing in Zurich next week, though none is expected to attend having already been banned for life by their home federations.
The threat of fixing was highlighted by Fifa president Sepp Blatter prior to the draw in Rio and Telegraph Sport can disclose that one of the early rounds of Asian qualifying has been internally investigated following allegations of manipulation.
Fifa investigators have been alerted to unusual betting patterns in connection with the two-legged tie between Cambodia and Laos in the first round of the Asian Football Confederation qualifying zone.
Both countries were eliminated before the preliminary draw in Rio, but the case highlights the rash of match-fixing allegations that have touched teams in more than 50 countries.
The first game in Phnom Penh on June 29 was won 4-2 by Cambodia, with the return in Vientiane on July 3 won by Laos 6-2 after extra time, enough for them to progress to the second round. The second leg was followed by accusations in Cambodia that the game was manipulated, and Telegraph Sport understands that data from betting monitoring software, including the Early Warning System used by Fifa, has highlighted unusual patterns, particularly in the first game.
The last goal in that game, scored by Cambodia in the 88th minute, attracted highly unusual betting patterns. With 86 minutes gone Cambodia were five-to-one on to score again on Asian handicap markets, an extreme price.
According to footage of the game on YouTube, Cambodia had two goals disallowed in the last six minutes, after 84 and 86 minutes, and Laos had a penalty appeal turned down in the 88th minute shortly before Cambodia’s Samel Nasa scored.
The second leg finished 4-2 to Laos after 90 minutes, with two further goals in extra time sealing their progress to the second round, where they lost to China 13-3 on aggregate.
Fifa would not comment on whether the case was part of its ongoing investigation into match fixing.
In a statement Fifa said: “We cannot confirm or deny any specific investigation taking place on these matches”.
The Football Federation of Cambodia carried out an internal investigation after receiving allegations that the games might have been manipulated, but has found no evidence of match-fixing.
In an emailed response to questions May Tola, the deputy general-secretary of the FFC, said that it had heard “unconfirmed rumours” about the tie, and that supporters had made accusations after the disappointment of the second-leg defeat.
“Some had accused players of result manipulation,” Tola wrote.
“Immediately after the team returned home, our FFC leadership has instructed the federation to form an investigation commission to find out if there is any irregularities as rumoured accusation [sic].
“After thorough examination and discussion, the Commission has found no substantial evidence or suspicion that the match had been manipulated by players or whosoevers [sic] within the team.”
The acting president of the Asian Football Confederation told Telegraph Sport that while he was not aware of any direct evidence that the Cambodia v Laos games were “not genuinely contested”, the allegations underlined “the destructive nature of match-fixing”.
Zhang Jilong, of China, who became acting president when Mohamed bin Hammam was suspended by Fifa, described match-fixing as a “pandemic” in world football, and is hoping to open a dedicated Fifa security office in Asia next year.
Jilong said: “There is no doubt that match-fixing is a real danger to football’s ethical values and needs to be completely eliminated to preserve the sanctity of the sport.
"AFC will not rest until this plague is completely stamped out in Asia.”
Asia is considered the hub of match-fixing and Jilong is in talks with Fifa’s security department to open a dedicated security office in Asia by the start of 2012.
The latest concerns come as Fifa prepares to take disciplinary action against six match officials involved in two notorious internationals staged in Antalya, Turkey, in February, in which all seven goals were penalties.
The referees, from Hungary and Bosnia, have been summoned to appear at a disciplinary hearing in Zurich next week, though none is expected to attend having already been banned for life by their home federations.
July 26, 2011
Match-fixing scandal delays start to Turkish football season
The Turkish Football Federation has delayed the start of the new football season by more than one month as a result of the ongoing investigation into the widening match-fixing scandal which has now seen more than thirty people arrested for their involvement.
Previously set to kick off on August 7th, the Turkish Football Federation has confirmed that Turkey’s Spor Toto Super League will now begin the 2011/12 season on September 9th, a delay of more than one month.
In addition, Bank Asya 1 League, the second division of the Turkish professional leagues, will begin a day later on September 10th.
The delay to the new football season comes as Turkish football faces up to one of its biggest ever challenges, as serious allegations of match-fixing and corruption have been uncovered by authorities in the country.
More than 30 people are facing charges for their role in the growing scandal, including the president of champions Fenerbahce, Aziz Yildirim.
This followed an investigation into nineteen domestic football games, thought to include last year’s Turkish Cup final which was won by Besiktas 4-3 on penalties against Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyespor. The victory enabled Besiktas to complete in next season’s UEFA Europa League.
Earlier this month, European football governing body UEFA said that it was fully aware of the current match-fixing allegations in Turkey surrounding certain clubs, individuals and players, and is monitoring the situation on a daily basis while maintaining close contact with the TFF.
The Turkish Football Federation has already decided to postpone the 6th TFF Super Cup, involving Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, which was scheduled to be played on July 31st.
Previously set to kick off on August 7th, the Turkish Football Federation has confirmed that Turkey’s Spor Toto Super League will now begin the 2011/12 season on September 9th, a delay of more than one month.
In addition, Bank Asya 1 League, the second division of the Turkish professional leagues, will begin a day later on September 10th.
The delay to the new football season comes as Turkish football faces up to one of its biggest ever challenges, as serious allegations of match-fixing and corruption have been uncovered by authorities in the country.
More than 30 people are facing charges for their role in the growing scandal, including the president of champions Fenerbahce, Aziz Yildirim.
This followed an investigation into nineteen domestic football games, thought to include last year’s Turkish Cup final which was won by Besiktas 4-3 on penalties against Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyespor. The victory enabled Besiktas to complete in next season’s UEFA Europa League.
Earlier this month, European football governing body UEFA said that it was fully aware of the current match-fixing allegations in Turkey surrounding certain clubs, individuals and players, and is monitoring the situation on a daily basis while maintaining close contact with the TFF.
The Turkish Football Federation has already decided to postpone the 6th TFF Super Cup, involving Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, which was scheduled to be played on July 31st.
July 14, 2011
More arrests in Turkish match-fixing probe
Turkey's state-run news agency says there have been five more arrests in a growing match-fixing probe, raising the number of suspects in jail to more than 30 and implicating leading club Besiktas.
The Anatolia news said Thursday that Besiktas' deputy chairman Serdar Adali and coach Tayfur Havutcu were charged late Wednesday. Two players from Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyespor were also arrested.
Prosecutors have charged dozens of suspects, including the president of league champion Fenerbahce, over corruption allegations involving 19 games.
Besiktas finished fifth in the Turkish first league last season and also won the Turkish Cup.
The Anatolia news said Thursday that Besiktas' deputy chairman Serdar Adali and coach Tayfur Havutcu were charged late Wednesday. Two players from Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyespor were also arrested.
Prosecutors have charged dozens of suspects, including the president of league champion Fenerbahce, over corruption allegations involving 19 games.
Besiktas finished fifth in the Turkish first league last season and also won the Turkish Cup.
June 23, 2011
Police Announce Arrests in Greek Match-Fixing Probe
Nine people have been arrested in connection with a probe into match-fixing in Greek football, police announced on Wednesday.
Police conducted an extensive search at suspects’ homes following an investigation by Greek judicial authorities in the last few months over a list of 41 matches submitted by UEFA to the local football authorities.
The presidents of Super League sides Olympiakos Volou, Achilleas Beos and Kavala, Stavros Psomiadis are reportedly among the nine men arrested. Beos’s lawyer has confirmed the arrest of his client.
The nine Greeks – also said to include the president of second-division side Ilioupoli, Giorgos Tsakoyiannis, and the manager of second-division side Ethnikos Asteras, Nikos Pantelis – are remanded in custody accused of betting fraud, money laundering and participation in a criminal group.
According to reports, at least 20 people were detained in total, including a number of football agents and the son of a well-known Athens soccer and basketball official.
“As part of the Athens prosecutor’s investigation a large-scale police operation has been conducted, which has resulted in nine arrests so far in connection with match-fixing. Investigations are continuing,” said a police statement.
Police conducted an extensive search at suspects’ homes following an investigation by Greek judicial authorities in the last few months over a list of 41 matches submitted by UEFA to the local football authorities.
The presidents of Super League sides Olympiakos Volou, Achilleas Beos and Kavala, Stavros Psomiadis are reportedly among the nine men arrested. Beos’s lawyer has confirmed the arrest of his client.
The nine Greeks – also said to include the president of second-division side Ilioupoli, Giorgos Tsakoyiannis, and the manager of second-division side Ethnikos Asteras, Nikos Pantelis – are remanded in custody accused of betting fraud, money laundering and participation in a criminal group.
According to reports, at least 20 people were detained in total, including a number of football agents and the son of a well-known Athens soccer and basketball official.
“As part of the Athens prosecutor’s investigation a large-scale police operation has been conducted, which has resulted in nine arrests so far in connection with match-fixing. Investigations are continuing,” said a police statement.
June 21, 2011
FIFA’s Security Head Says Significant Match-Fix Arrest Made in Singapore
The arrest of a Singaporean man by police in Malaysia on soccer match-fixing charges may be one of the most significant to date, according to the head of security at the sport’s governing body.
Rajendran Kurusamy, 51, was arrested three weeks after Malaysian police were given a photo and other details by FIFA officials. He’s been linked to match-fixing cases in Under-20 matches. The arrest comes as Wilson Raj Perumal, a Singaporean, and nine members of the same Finish team are accused of fixing games there.
“He’s potentially more significant than Perumal,” Chris Eaton said in a telephone interview from Singapore, adding Kurusamy has been working in “Europe and likely Central America, too, in my estimation.”
FIFA is investigating several games that officials suspect have been compromised by match-fixers, including Nigeria’s 4-1 victory over Argentina in an exhibition match on June 1. They’re also looking at a games between a team purporting to represent the West African state of Togo and Bahrain as well as matches games between Bulgaria and Estonia, and Bolivia and Latvia in Turkey, where all seven goals were scored from penalties.
FIFA set up an Early Warning System to detect suspicious betting patterns, which sparked the investigation into the Nigeria game. It’s also giving Interpol 20 million euros ($28.6 million) over 10 years to help tackle the problem. The groups are working on an anti-corruption center in Singapore.
“We’re seeing an explosion in the investigating and detection of match fixing,” Eaton said. “My estimation is this is because there’s more awareness of match-fixing and more recognition by police agencies to eradicate it.”
The size of the illegal gambling market is estimated to be worth $90 billion, according to the World Lottery Association, a lobbying group for state-backed lotteries.
Rajendran Kurusamy, 51, was arrested three weeks after Malaysian police were given a photo and other details by FIFA officials. He’s been linked to match-fixing cases in Under-20 matches. The arrest comes as Wilson Raj Perumal, a Singaporean, and nine members of the same Finish team are accused of fixing games there.
“He’s potentially more significant than Perumal,” Chris Eaton said in a telephone interview from Singapore, adding Kurusamy has been working in “Europe and likely Central America, too, in my estimation.”
FIFA is investigating several games that officials suspect have been compromised by match-fixers, including Nigeria’s 4-1 victory over Argentina in an exhibition match on June 1. They’re also looking at a games between a team purporting to represent the West African state of Togo and Bahrain as well as matches games between Bulgaria and Estonia, and Bolivia and Latvia in Turkey, where all seven goals were scored from penalties.
FIFA set up an Early Warning System to detect suspicious betting patterns, which sparked the investigation into the Nigeria game. It’s also giving Interpol 20 million euros ($28.6 million) over 10 years to help tackle the problem. The groups are working on an anti-corruption center in Singapore.
“We’re seeing an explosion in the investigating and detection of match fixing,” Eaton said. “My estimation is this is because there’s more awareness of match-fixing and more recognition by police agencies to eradicate it.”
The size of the illegal gambling market is estimated to be worth $90 billion, according to the World Lottery Association, a lobbying group for state-backed lotteries.
June 08, 2011
Australia: Sports set to clamp down on exotic bets
Cricket Australia and other major national sporting bodies are to follow rugby league's ban on exotic bets.
Australia's most prominent professional sports have also backed a federal government proposal to make sports corruption a crime, with penalties of up to 10 years in jail.
The Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS) yesterday met Sports Minister Mark Arbib and gave him a paper on sports corruption.
The paper makes three major recommendations, which the minister endorsed.
Sports-specific national legislation that carries severe penalties for cheating in connection with betting.
Sports can veto exotic or spot bets that they think are at risk of corruption.
Victoria's sports betting Act is adopted across all states and territories, meaning all betting agencies must have integrity agreements with sports.
"A national approach to this is absolutely critical," Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said.
"To protect the integrity of the sports contest is absolutely vital and it's something that obviously the COMPPS sports have an interest in, but I think the whole Australian public has an interest in as well.
"Without national consistency on these issues, we simply don't believe that our governments are taking this issue seriously enough."
Last week, the NRL banned some exotic bets offered by bookmakers.
It follows last year's match-fixing scandal in the sport, where there was a massive plunge on a penalty goal being the first scoring play in a Canterbury-North Queensland match.
The AFL has already acted against exotic betting.
Australia's most prominent professional sports have also backed a federal government proposal to make sports corruption a crime, with penalties of up to 10 years in jail.
The Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS) yesterday met Sports Minister Mark Arbib and gave him a paper on sports corruption.
The paper makes three major recommendations, which the minister endorsed.
Sports-specific national legislation that carries severe penalties for cheating in connection with betting.
Sports can veto exotic or spot bets that they think are at risk of corruption.
Victoria's sports betting Act is adopted across all states and territories, meaning all betting agencies must have integrity agreements with sports.
"A national approach to this is absolutely critical," Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said.
"To protect the integrity of the sports contest is absolutely vital and it's something that obviously the COMPPS sports have an interest in, but I think the whole Australian public has an interest in as well.
"Without national consistency on these issues, we simply don't believe that our governments are taking this issue seriously enough."
Last week, the NRL banned some exotic bets offered by bookmakers.
It follows last year's match-fixing scandal in the sport, where there was a massive plunge on a penalty goal being the first scoring play in a Canterbury-North Queensland match.
The AFL has already acted against exotic betting.
June 07, 2011
Greek league suspended over match-fixing
Greece’s Football Association has moved to suspend the country’s professional game over claims of match-fixing and violence.
What initially started out as a probe by UEFA, (European football’s governing body) into irregular betting patterns during the 2009 and 2010 domestic season has now lead to the Greek FA suspending all activities while various reforms are considered.
The 15-day lockout period fortunately takes place during Greece’s off-season which lasts until the end of August. In addition, the FA has okay-ed the friendly match between Greece and Ecuador scheduled for June 7th in New York.
In the meantime, seven people have been charged with betting on fixed matches, while another eight suspects are currently under investigation after each winning over €15,000 ($22,000) from the state-controlled football pools.
This follows the relegation of north Greek club Iraklis after discrepancies in its finances were uncovered.
As well as corruption, consistent violence has also plagued the domestic Greek Football scene leading to the extraordinary suspension decision.
For instance, on April 30th at the Greek Cup final between AEK Athens and underdogs Atromito, AEK hooligans invaded the pitch and attacked opposing supporters despite their team being 3-0 ahead.
Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) President Sofoklis Pilavios announced news of the suspension on Friday after EPO delegates approved the move by a 49 to 7 margin.
Commenting on the drastic decision taken by the EPO, Pilavios stated: “We are facing a very major problem of violence. We have a choice to make: Do we want football in the hands of hooligans, violence, and match-fixers, forgers, and liars? A game with deals made under the table, exploited by politicians, a game of violence and threats? Or do we want a game based on strong institutions and rules and strong moral grounding?”
What initially started out as a probe by UEFA, (European football’s governing body) into irregular betting patterns during the 2009 and 2010 domestic season has now lead to the Greek FA suspending all activities while various reforms are considered.
The 15-day lockout period fortunately takes place during Greece’s off-season which lasts until the end of August. In addition, the FA has okay-ed the friendly match between Greece and Ecuador scheduled for June 7th in New York.
In the meantime, seven people have been charged with betting on fixed matches, while another eight suspects are currently under investigation after each winning over €15,000 ($22,000) from the state-controlled football pools.
This follows the relegation of north Greek club Iraklis after discrepancies in its finances were uncovered.
As well as corruption, consistent violence has also plagued the domestic Greek Football scene leading to the extraordinary suspension decision.
For instance, on April 30th at the Greek Cup final between AEK Athens and underdogs Atromito, AEK hooligans invaded the pitch and attacked opposing supporters despite their team being 3-0 ahead.
Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) President Sofoklis Pilavios announced news of the suspension on Friday after EPO delegates approved the move by a 49 to 7 margin.
Commenting on the drastic decision taken by the EPO, Pilavios stated: “We are facing a very major problem of violence. We have a choice to make: Do we want football in the hands of hooligans, violence, and match-fixers, forgers, and liars? A game with deals made under the table, exploited by politicians, a game of violence and threats? Or do we want a game based on strong institutions and rules and strong moral grounding?”
June 02, 2011
Italian players arrested in match-fixing probe
The spectre of corruption returned to haunt Italian football yesterday when former star World Cup striker Beppe Signori was among 16 people arrested after investigators busted a football match-fixing operation that was so big police dubbed it a "proper criminal organisation".
In addition to Signori, who appeared in the 1994 World Cup final, police held other big-name players and club officials in towns across the country including Rome, Turin, Naples and Bologna. Magistrates claimed that players flunked matches for cash, while others were doped to ensure that they played badly.
The probe looks likely to rock Italian football just five years after the so-called Calciopoli scandal that led to Turin giants Juventus being relegated to the second division. In addition to the 16 arrested yesterday, another 12 people are officially under investigation in connection with the suspec-ted match-fixing scam.
Former Lazio and Bologna forward Signori, who retired in 2006, has been placed under house arrest. He is Serie A's eighth top scorer of all time with 188 goals. He was described as the "central element of a group of Bologna betters" involved in the scam, in an arrest warrant issued by Cremona investigating magistrate Guido Salvini.
In comments to the Ansa news agency, Signori said: "Have some mercy. I can't say anything. I will meet my lawyer and then he'll speak for me."
Atalanta's Cristiano Doni and former Sampdoria defender Stefano Bettarini, both of whom played international football for Italy, are also said to be under investigation.
Prosecutors said they had "important and irrefutable" evidence that the 16 were involved in manipulating results in 18 mostly Serie B (second division) and lower league matches in the season that has just come to an end, adding that Atalanta and Siena's promotion to the top flight may be in danger.
Police said the six-month investigation, triggered by a Serie B match in Cremona that aroused suspicion last year, had revealed the involvement of current footballers, club executives and sports betting operators. They said bets worth hundreds of thousands of euros had been placed on matches.
According to Mr Salvini, there was also a failed attempt to fix a Serie A match between Inter Milan and Lecce at the San Siro in March.
In addition to Signori, who appeared in the 1994 World Cup final, police held other big-name players and club officials in towns across the country including Rome, Turin, Naples and Bologna. Magistrates claimed that players flunked matches for cash, while others were doped to ensure that they played badly.
The probe looks likely to rock Italian football just five years after the so-called Calciopoli scandal that led to Turin giants Juventus being relegated to the second division. In addition to the 16 arrested yesterday, another 12 people are officially under investigation in connection with the suspec-ted match-fixing scam.
Former Lazio and Bologna forward Signori, who retired in 2006, has been placed under house arrest. He is Serie A's eighth top scorer of all time with 188 goals. He was described as the "central element of a group of Bologna betters" involved in the scam, in an arrest warrant issued by Cremona investigating magistrate Guido Salvini.
In comments to the Ansa news agency, Signori said: "Have some mercy. I can't say anything. I will meet my lawyer and then he'll speak for me."
Atalanta's Cristiano Doni and former Sampdoria defender Stefano Bettarini, both of whom played international football for Italy, are also said to be under investigation.
Prosecutors said they had "important and irrefutable" evidence that the 16 were involved in manipulating results in 18 mostly Serie B (second division) and lower league matches in the season that has just come to an end, adding that Atalanta and Siena's promotion to the top flight may be in danger.
Police said the six-month investigation, triggered by a Serie B match in Cremona that aroused suspicion last year, had revealed the involvement of current footballers, club executives and sports betting operators. They said bets worth hundreds of thousands of euros had been placed on matches.
According to Mr Salvini, there was also a failed attempt to fix a Serie A match between Inter Milan and Lecce at the San Siro in March.
June 01, 2011
Austrian tennis player receives life ban for match-fixing
Austrian tennis player Daniel Koellerer has been banned from professional tennis for life and fined US$100,000 after being found guilty of match-fixing by the anti-corruption Tennis Integrity Unit.
Koellerer was found guilty of three charges under Article D of the 2010 Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.
The three charges were; contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event; soliciting or facilitating a player not to use his or her best efforts in an event; and soliciting, offering or providing money, benefit or consideration to any other covered person with the intention of negatively influencing a player’s best efforts in any event.
The three violations occurred between October 2009 and July 2010.
The case against him was based on the findings of a Tennis Integrity Unit investigation and considered by an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer at a two-day Hearing held in London last month.
The life ban applies with immediate effect, and means that Koellerer, currently ranked 385 in the world but a former world number 55, is not eligible to participate in any tournament or competition organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of professional tennis.
Last August, Koellerer and his agent Manfred Nareyka were disciplined under the Uniform Anti-Corruption Programme for facilitating betting. A Tennis Integrity Unit investigation found that Koellerer’s personal website carried details of betting odds on tennis matches and provided links to allow users to place bets.
The offence of facilitating betting contravenes Article D1b of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme. Both Koellerer and his agent admitted the offences, with Koellerer receiving a €15,000 fine and a three month ban from professional tennis. Both penalties were suspended for two years on the condition that he does not infringe the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme in that period.
Nareyka received a twelve month suspension of credentials and access to any professional tennis events, again suspended for two years.
The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Committee, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP World Tour and the WTA as part of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme.
Koellerer was found guilty of three charges under Article D of the 2010 Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.
The three charges were; contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event; soliciting or facilitating a player not to use his or her best efforts in an event; and soliciting, offering or providing money, benefit or consideration to any other covered person with the intention of negatively influencing a player’s best efforts in any event.
The three violations occurred between October 2009 and July 2010.
The case against him was based on the findings of a Tennis Integrity Unit investigation and considered by an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer at a two-day Hearing held in London last month.
The life ban applies with immediate effect, and means that Koellerer, currently ranked 385 in the world but a former world number 55, is not eligible to participate in any tournament or competition organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of professional tennis.
Last August, Koellerer and his agent Manfred Nareyka were disciplined under the Uniform Anti-Corruption Programme for facilitating betting. A Tennis Integrity Unit investigation found that Koellerer’s personal website carried details of betting odds on tennis matches and provided links to allow users to place bets.
The offence of facilitating betting contravenes Article D1b of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme. Both Koellerer and his agent admitted the offences, with Koellerer receiving a €15,000 fine and a three month ban from professional tennis. Both penalties were suspended for two years on the condition that he does not infringe the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme in that period.
Nareyka received a twelve month suspension of credentials and access to any professional tennis events, again suspended for two years.
The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Committee, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP World Tour and the WTA as part of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme.
April 30, 2011
FIFA: Academy of match-fixers operating out of Singapore
An “academy of match-fixers”operating out of Singapore could be responsible for rigging matches around the world, FIFA’s head of security Chris Eaton said in a newspaper interview on Saturday.
Eaton, who worked for Interpol for more than a decade before joining world football’s governing body, told Singapore’s The New Paper that a global investigation into match-fixing saw many of the lines of inquiry focused on the Southeast Asian city-state.
“Singapore seems to feature a great deal in these (match-fixing) allegations,” Eaton said in the interview in Finland.
“I form the conclusion that Singapore seems to have an academy of match-fixers, and that many of the inquiries we’re making on behalf of FIFA are coming back to Singapore.”
Investigators had delivered their findings to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who has already vowed to clamp down on match-fixing.
Eaton said that while gambling on football was not the problem, criminal networks were eager to cash in on the tens of millions of euros being made through match-fixing.
The newspaper said a report published in December 2009 estimated $450 billion (S$632.5 billion) a year was wagered in Asia, including illegal and legal betting.
“With that kind of financial interest, criminals, being the greedy beasts they are, try to find ways to milk the potential windfall,” he added.
In Finland, Tampere United were expelled from all competitions by the Finnish FA earlier this month over irregularities related to a marketing deal.
The FA’s disciplinary committee said Tampere had allowed Singaporean firm Exclusive Sport PTE Ltd to improperly influence the choice of players for certain matches as part of a marketing deal. Tampere have since been reinstated pending an appeal.
A Singaporean man working for Exclusive Sport PTE Ltd was in late February detained by Finnish police as he was using a fake ID. He is suspected of fixing matches in Finland and elsewhere.
Eaton, who worked for Interpol for more than a decade before joining world football’s governing body, told Singapore’s The New Paper that a global investigation into match-fixing saw many of the lines of inquiry focused on the Southeast Asian city-state.
“Singapore seems to feature a great deal in these (match-fixing) allegations,” Eaton said in the interview in Finland.
“I form the conclusion that Singapore seems to have an academy of match-fixers, and that many of the inquiries we’re making on behalf of FIFA are coming back to Singapore.”
Investigators had delivered their findings to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who has already vowed to clamp down on match-fixing.
Eaton said that while gambling on football was not the problem, criminal networks were eager to cash in on the tens of millions of euros being made through match-fixing.
The newspaper said a report published in December 2009 estimated $450 billion (S$632.5 billion) a year was wagered in Asia, including illegal and legal betting.
“With that kind of financial interest, criminals, being the greedy beasts they are, try to find ways to milk the potential windfall,” he added.
In Finland, Tampere United were expelled from all competitions by the Finnish FA earlier this month over irregularities related to a marketing deal.
The FA’s disciplinary committee said Tampere had allowed Singaporean firm Exclusive Sport PTE Ltd to improperly influence the choice of players for certain matches as part of a marketing deal. Tampere have since been reinstated pending an appeal.
A Singaporean man working for Exclusive Sport PTE Ltd was in late February detained by Finnish police as he was using a fake ID. He is suspected of fixing matches in Finland and elsewhere.
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