http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/sports-general/20130204/Match-Fixing/ THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Organized crime gangs have fixed or tried to fix hundreds of soccer matches around the world in recent years, including World Cup and European Championship qualifiers and two Champions League games, Europol announced Monday. The European Union's police agency said an 18-month review found 380 suspicious matches in Europe and another 300 questionable games outside the continent, mainly in Africa, Asia and South and Central America. It also found evidence that a Singapore-based crime syndicate was involved in some of the match-fixing. Europol refused to name any suspected matches, players, officials or match-fixers, saying that would compromise ongoing national investigations, so it remained unclear how much of the information divulged Monday was new or had already been revealed in trials across the continent. Even so, the picture painted by Europol was the latest body blow for the credibility of sports in general, following cyclist Lance Armstrong's admission that he used performance-enhancing drugs in all seven of his Tour de France wins. ``This is a sad day for European football (soccer),'' Europol Director Rob Wainwright told reporters. He said criminals were cashing in on soccer corruption ``on a scale and in a way that threatens the very fabric of the game.'' Europol said 425 match officials, club officials, players and criminals from at least 15 countries were involved in fixing European soccer games dating back to 2008. Ralf Mutschke, director of security at FIFA, the world soccer body, said the report highlighted the need for soccer authorities and police to tackle corruption together. ``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,'' he said. Mutschke said while FIFA can ban players, referees and club officials, it is powerless to sanction people not directly involved in the sport. ``For people outside of football, currently the custodial sentences imposed are too weak and offer little to deter someone from getting involved in match-fixing,'' he said. Europol is not a police force but provides expertise and helps coordinate national police across the 27-nation European Union. It said 13 European countries were involved in this match-fixing investigation, pouring through 13,000 emails, paper trails, phone records and computer records. Its probe uncovered (euro) 8 million ($10.9 million) in betting profits and (euro) 2 million ($2.7 million) in bribes to players and officials and has already led to several prosecutions. ``This is the tip of the iceberg,'' said German investigator Friedhelm Althans, who also said two World Cup qualification matches in Africa and one in Central America were among those under suspicion. Wainwright said while many fixed soccer matches were already known from criminal trials in Europe, the Europol investigation lifted the lid on the widespread involvement of organized crime. ``(That) highlights a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe,'' he said. He said a Singapore-based criminal network was involved in the match-fixing, spending up to (euro) 100,000 ($136,500) per match to bribe players and officials. ``The ringleaders are of Asian origin, working closely together with European facilitators,'' Europol said in a statement, but adding that ``Russian-speaking'' and other criminal gangs were also involved. Wainwright said the soccer world needed a ``concerted effort'' to tackle the corruption. UEFA, which oversees European soccer and organizes the Champions League, seemed surprised by the breadth of Europol's accusations. It said it expected to get more information on their investigation shortly. ``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,'' UEFA said in a statement. Previous investigations have found that a World Cup qualifier between Liechtenstein and Finland in September 2009 was fixed by a referee from Bosnia, who UEFA banned for life. Last year, UEFA expelled a Malta player implicated in fixing a European Championship qualifier between Norway and Malta in June 2007. The Associated Press
The NFL isnt as Global, manipulative or broke. This has been happening for years. If your intrested in Italian football, you should google how corrupt it is. Top League European football is shit
You don't even have to Google Italian league to see how bad it is. Just watch a few games and you'll see how ridiculous it is. I find it funny how my dad is obsessed with Italian soccer and yet just about every day he complains about how corrupt it is. The best part is he almost sounds surprised about it even though he knows this has been going on for years.
Wherever Platini is, corruption is there. Platini is said to promise Turkish Prime Minister not to sanction Fenerbahce after Turkish Judicial System imprisoned Fenerbahce's president. Turkish Police found 19 fixed games yet UEFA and Platini did nothing. Same Platini was the Head of the Organization Committee for 1998 World Cup. God knows what happened in the Brazilian locker room that night. Ronaldo was like a drunk on the field.
It does make you wonder about the "blackout" doesn't it. Changed the entire profile of the game. If Vegas had an interest in a close game, then the blackout worked out really well. If a "whale" had huge money on the 49'ers, then he got exceedingly lucky with that blackout. I don't know what the spread was or the over/under, but the way things had started in the second half, it was headed to blowout city until the blackout. No tinfoil hat here since we're talking over $1B in bets on the game and with that kinda money on the line and enough tech available, a planned blackout isn't impossible to contemplate.
Not sure if any of you watch MMA, remember Pride FC? it was based out of Japan. It turned out it was 100% controlled by the Yakuza and most fights were fixed. Once word spread, business investors backed out and left the company bankrupt. I think they reorganized and started One FC fighting. Not sure if anyone has ever been to Japan, but you can’t even go into a restaurant or gym with any tattoos showing, The Japanese feel it’s a sign of Yakuza involvement.
I'm sure things like this happen more than we realize. I think college basketball is the worst in the USA, call me crazy but I'm convinced there is a points shaving epidemic... You have 300+ teams, 12 or so players on each and almost all of them have no realistic shot at the NBA. Might as well make money how they can... I would never bet on that crooked industry, but I like to follow the spreads and it will make you sick, particularly for the mid major conferences. I used to aire on the side of caution and think that the bookies were just really good at guessing the spread, but they must be so ridiculously good it's sickening. Common example: You'll have the top team in some slapdick conference, maybe they are ranked in the 20 or so range at HOME against one of the worst teams in the conference, RPI in the 200s, and the bookies come out with only a 6.5 spread. That seems like easy money. That top ranked school out to be able to cover THAT at home right? Game goes on - top ranked school leads wire to wire, takes a 15 point lead late into the game, never really pulling too far away though... but then they turn it over a few times in the final minute (hmmm)... they allow a few easy buckets, maybe an open 3 pointer and what do you know they win by only 6. WTF.
