http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/s...ches-suspect-in-european-fixing-probe?cc=5901 Spoiler THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- A wide-ranging match-fixing investigation has uncovered more than 380 suspicious matches -- including World Cup and European Championship qualifiers and two Champions League games -- and found evidence that a Singapore-based crime group is closely involved in match-fixing. "This is a sad day for European football," Rob Wainwright, head of the European Union police organization Europol, said Monday, referring to the sport Americans call soccer. He said the investigation uncovered "match-fixing activity on a scale we have not seen before." More on ESPN.com The world's most popular game is also its most corrupt, with investigations into match fixing ongoing in more than 25 countries, writes Brett Forrest. Story The 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. Wainwright said the involvement of organized crime "highlights a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe." 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. It was not immediately clear how many of the matches mentioned Monday have been revealed in previous match-fixing investigations in countries including Germany and Italy. Wainwright and other officials and prosecutors declined to identify any of the suspects, players or matches involved, citing their ongoing investigations. He said while many fixed matches were already known, the Europol investigation lifted the lid on the widespread involvement of organized crime in rigging games. "This is the first time we have established substantial evidence that organized crime is now operating in the world of football," he said. Wainwright said there is now a "concerted effort" across the soccer world to tackle the corruption.
The CL game in England that was in question was Liverpool's 2009 win over Decebren. Decebren was supposed to let up over 2.5 goals and somehow Liverpool only managed to win 1-0 with the other team tanking it. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/european-police-probe-liverpool-game-1586534?
"In text messages recovered by police – the people behind the match fixing bemoaned the fact Steven Gerrard missed some presentable chances against Debrecen. "
makes me glad I'm only really emotionally invested in a college soccer program instead of some European team I have no connection to
Sky Sports News @SkySportsNews Hungarian club Debrecen confirm their Champions League match against Liverpool was part of a match-fixing investigation #ssn
RT @runofplay: Bob Ley reporting that matches have been tampered with in the United States, including a USMNT game.
I used to support the hell out of that program lol I'm such a better fan than the overwhelming majority of people on here
I'm sorry but that statement makes you look like the unsufferable fag Shocker claimed you to be. Questioning other peoples fandom vs. your own is the height of gayness.
Well as long as you believe your amount of smug makes up for the vast inconsequentiality and irrelevance that is college soccer.
Looking at the matches involved, this is really missing the bite, mostly lower divisions, and eastern european clubs. Europol looking to make a name for its self because the number of people who knew about Europol in europe was probably in the thousands.
by attending as vast an array of athletic events as possible whereas yall just support so and so's football programs and some random European soccer clubs that yall have absolutely no ties to
Maybe your life would be more fulfilling if you branched out. A whole world out there besides Indiana and Vandy