At least 200 European football games are being investigated after police said they had dismantled an alleged international criminal ring suspected of running Europe’s biggest ever match fixing scandal. German prosecutors and police stated that the gang allegedly obtained more than €10m in illegal betting proceeds by manipulating the outcomes of games in nine countries, including three in the Champions League. Peter Limacher of Uefa commented, ‘This is without a doubt the biggest scandal to ever hit European football.’ All the games under investigation took place this year.
At least 200 European football games are being investigated after police said they had dismantled an alleged international criminal ring suspected of running Europe’s biggest ever match fixing scandal. German prosecutors and police stated that the gang allegedly obtained more than €10m in illegal betting proceeds by manipulating the outcomes of games in nine countries, including three in the Champions League. Peter Limacher of Uefa commented, ‘This is without a doubt the biggest scandal to ever hit European football.’ All the games under investigation took place this year. They include matches in Croatia, Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary, Bosnia and Austria.
Police sources indicated that the number of games involved and circle of suspects could increase. Police in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and London conducted 50 raids and seized €1m in cash. Those detained are suspected of offering payments to players, coaches, referees and officials in exchange for influencing the outcome of games on which ring members would place bets. There are fears that match fixing could be the next big problem facing football. It is as old as the game itself, but the frequency of bribery scandals seems to be increasing, driven by the growth of gambling. It has even been alleged that three matches at the last World Cup were fixed by Asian gamblers.
If fans come to believe that the product they are watching is rigged, they may no longer be attracted to the game. Corruption scandals in Italy seem to have hit attendances there. Rowing was a phenomenon in 19th century Britain before it became tainted by match fixing. The bigger gambling companies have started to set up investigation units with sports authorities to prevent damage to their reputations. However, some argue that the growth of online gambling, and in particular gambling during the course of an event, makes effective control more difficult.