Match-fixing arrests across Europe
Updated on 20 November 2009
Police have made 15 arrests around Europe, including Britain, in connection with a suspected football match-fixing that may have affected the outcomes of 200 matches.
The matches under suspicion were played in nine countries, but none were in the Premier League or Football League.
Huge bets were placed with Asian bookmakers on the matches under suspicion and prosecutors in Germany say there are more than 200 people under investigation and they believe players, coaches, referees and club officials may have been offered bribes to change the outcomes of the games.
There are three Champions League matches involved in the investigation, 12 Europa League games, four in the German second division, 26 in lower divisions of German football and two under-19 matches in Germany.
Also under investigation are 17 games in the Belgian second division, 22 in the Swiss second division, 14 in the Croatian first division, seven in Slovenia's first division, 29 in the Turkish first division, 13 in the Hungarian first division, eight in the Bosnian first division and three matches in Austria.
The police have also seized cash and goods totalling £900,000 in co-ordinated raids.
Gianni Infantino, the general secretary of Uefa, the governing body of European football, said: "I would like to thank the German authorities for their action and for the good collaboration.
"This case proves that it is possible for a state investigative authority to work closely together with a sports governing body when it comes to corruption or match-fixing, and it is gratifying to see that the betting fraud detection system endorsed by the Uefa President Michel Platini is already bearing fruit.
"We will continue our battle against any form of corruption in European football with a mission of zero tolerance.
"Uefa will be demanding the harshest of sanctions before the competent courts for any individuals, clubs or officials who are implicated in this malpractice, be it under state or sports jurisdiction."
In August this year, Uefa held its first discussion aimed at a co-ordinated effort to combat match-fixing across Europe.
At a two-day conference, a detection system was demonstrated and showed how suspicious matches could be identified by studying betting patterns.
The following month, Uefa announced it was investigating suspicious betting patterns in 40 Champions League and Uefa Cup games dating back over five years in the early qualifying rounds of the tournaments and mostly involving clubs from eastern Europe.
