European football has been rocked by it’s largest ever match-fixing scandal. Luckily for some of those who should have been responsible for keeping the game clean, Thierry Henry stole the headlines with his handball against Ireland.
Enough has been written on Henry, so I won’t delve any further. The match-fixing scandal, on the other hand, has far wider implications, is far more serious and has much deeper consequences both to those involved and the game in general.
The results of over 200 matches from games in German, Turkish, Belgian, Swiss and Croatian Leagues, as well as UEFA sanctioned tournaments have been called into question with Germany apparently being the centre of the operation.
Of the 200 matches under investigation, 32 are from the German leagues, four in the second division, which will be particularly difficult to swallow given the 2005 match fixing scandal involving disgraced referee Robert Hoyzer is still fresh in the memory.
Hoyzer was involved in manipulating 11 matches. His slice of the alleged €2 Million windfall received by the Croatian Organised Crime Network for their organisation of the fixes? €70,000 and a plasma TV. That was worth more to Hoyzer than his dignity or freedom.
The 29 month prison sentence handed to down and the life-ban from football were meant to be a signal of intent, a warning that match-fixing in football would not be tolerated but as is always the case, the high risks have been outweighed by the even higher rewards and the fixes continued.
This time the ring is alleged to have netted €10 Million. The 50 raids performed by police resulted in 15 arrests, the seizure of cash and property worth over €1 Million and already Swiss side FC Thun have banned Omar Faye – one of the 32 players implicated in the scandal – who allegedly took a bribe and is now under police investigation.
The captain of German 3rd division side VFL-Osnabrück’s has also publicly pleaded his innocence stating “I have had no contact with the betting mafia and have nothing to do with the betting scandal.”
The club president has also backed the player and the clubs fans refuse to believe he could be involved, one fan stating that “he is the figurehead of the club and it’s simply impossible that he would have anything to do with a betting scandal.”
It’s one thing for people to support their team but it would appear this will all come crashing down, sooner rather than later.
The German police are a tough bunch, while I’ve witnessed them drinking beer on the job I’ve also seen how they can chase an issue like this until they’ve righted all wrongs, real or imagined.
What will be interesting to see is the culpability of the administrators.
It’s likely that there is a large degree of truth behind the accusations that “players, referees, coaches and other match officials” have allegedly been targeted but what of the DFB and DFL? Or German UEFA and FIFA executives?
It was just 4 years ago that the Hoyzer incident rocked the country. Were they really so incompetent as to allow such an extensive betting ring go on under their noses for long enough to rack up more than €10 Million in profit?
Germany can no longer afford to be the hub of such organised crime and must do something to better regulate the gambling that revolves around football which is obviously out of control.
In the smallest villages where you’ll find a lone baker and butcher you are likely to find one, maybe two betting shops which are always full in the evenings and on weekends.
The inhabitants often venture outside to smoke – smoking indoors was banned a few years ago – and one immediately notices that the majority of the clientele are Turk’s, Eastern Europeans, Russians and some of the more unsavoury.
Having entered one such establishment recently to see the score of a game on my way home I was amazed at the amount of money changing hands.
Painters – who are not well paid – handing over hundreds of Euro’s to be placed on football matches, Döner-men who earn little more than minimum wage splashing the cash on multi-bets for the Turkish Süper Lig.
If Germany is serious about sorting out this problem, much stricter rules must be introduced to regulate the entire industry and a genuine special commission must be organised to tackle the problem head-on, one that is devoid of DFB and DFL as well as UEFA and FIFA staff who should also receive a cleanout – starting at the top.
This, however, seems unrealistic as the industry is worth billions and the likelihood that some powerful men have been dipping into the honey pot is extremely high.
As such, expect this to run its course. There will be some harsh words and a fall-man just like Hoyzer, but nothing will change unless someone is caught red-handed.
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