Google - AFP, Jan
Hennop (AFP), 4 February 2013
 |
Europol's
chief Rob Wainwright (2nd L) arrives for a press conference in
The Hague on
February 4, 2013 (ANP/AFP, Robin van Lonkhuijsen)
|
THE HAGUE —
Football on Monday vowed to fight the scourge of match-fixing but warned a
joint effort was needed to tackle the problem after police unveiled a massive
criminal network that rigged hundreds of top-flight matches.
Europol
said a five-country probe had identified some 380 suspicious matches targeted
by a Singapore-based betting cartel, whose illegal activities stretched to
players, referees and officials across the world and at all levels of the game.
Matches
included two Champions League games, one of them in England, and World Cup
qualifiers, netting criminals more than eight million euros ($11 million, 6.9
million pounds) in profit.
"It is
clear to us that this is the biggest investigation ever into suspected
match-fixing," Europol director Rob Wainwright told a news conference in
The Hague, adding that the fall-out hit at the heart of the world game's
reputation.
 |
Michel
Platini gives a speech in Dubai
on December 28, 2012 (AFP/File, Marwan
Naamani)
|
He added:
"Match-fixing is a significant threat to football... involving a broad
community of actors. Illegal profits are being made that threatens the very
fabric of the game."
World
governing body FIFA said closer cooperation was needed between football's
authorities and law enforcement agencies to crack down on match-fixers.
"FIFA
and the football community are committed to tackling this problem, but we will
not succeed alone," said FIFA's own "corruption buster" Ralph
Mutschke, a former Interpol executive and police officer.
"The
support of law enforcement bodies, legal investigations, and ultimately tougher
sanctions are required, as currently there is low risk and high gain potential
for the fixers."
European
governing body UEFA for its part said it was already working with the
authorities "on these serious matters as part of its zero tolerance policy
towards match-fixing in our sport.
"Once
the details of these investigations are in UEFA's hands, then they will be
reviewed by the appropriate disciplinary bodies in order that the necessary
measures are taken," it added in a statement.
Monday's
revelations come after Interpol last month warned that global football
corruption was helping to fuel the criminal underworld's domination of
prostitution, drug-trafficking and gun-running and in the wake of several
high-profile scandals.
The global
policing body's chief Ronald Noble said last November it expected to make
arrests in Singapore over last year's Italian illegal betting scandal after
links were suspected between one suspect and crimelord Tan Seet Eng or Dan Tan.
 |
Juventus coach Antonio Conte
in Catania on October 28, 2012
while serving a 'Calcioscom-
messe' match-fixing ban (AFP/ File, Marcello Paternostro) |
At least
425 referees, players and other officials were suspected of involvement, with
matches rigged so that major sums of money could be won through betting.
Some 151
suspects were living in Germany, 66 in Turkey and 29 in Switzerland but
suspects fixing matches in other parts of Europe and around the world are also
being probed, Europol said.
No details
were given about which top-flight matches were involved because some
investigations were still on-going.
But footage
was shown of a suspect junior international between Argentina and Bolivia
during which a Hungarian referee awarded a highly dubious penalty in extra
time.
The largest
bet profit was 700,000 euros in an Austrian league match between Redbull Salzburg
and Hartberg. As well as arrests, some two million euros in cash and profits
were seized, Europol said.
A further
300 suspicious matches were identified outside Europe in Africa, Asia and South
and Central America.
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