Opinion / Columnist
World game: the tentacles of corruption
20 Jul 2011 at 08:33hrs | Views
While the local Asiagate probe is still to make much headway against the background of the sincerity of the report being questioned and a host of denials also being issued against it, the match-fixing scam in Turkey has widened beyond just the champions Fernerbahce.
31 players and officials are on remand pending trial on match-fixing charges, including the chairman of league champions Fenerbahce and senior officials from Trabzonspor and Besiktas, and the former Turkish FA president has been questioned by police.
Three Besiktas officials have been arrested after the net was widened in the match-fixing investigation that has rocked Turkish football.
Besiktas coach Tayfur Havutcu, deputy chairman Serdar Adali and club security chief Ahmet Ates were detained by Istanbul police on Thursday as part of the ongoing probe into allegations of match-fixing last season. Aziz Yildirim and Sadri Sener, the presidents of fellow Super Lig clubs Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor, respectively, have also been arrested, and national newspapers have reported that 26 people are already awaiting trial.
Fenerbahce won the league title last season after a remarkable end-of-season run of form saw Trabzonspor edged out on goal difference. Besiktas lifted the Turkish Cup after beating Buyuksehir in a penalty shoot-out in the final. According to various reports, two Buyuksehir players were also arrested on Thursday.
The Turkish Football Federation will wait for the outcome of any legal action before launching its own investigation, and both Fenerbahce and Besiktas are expected to remain in the draw for this season's Champions League and Europa League, respectively.
"Given the information received so far by UEFA there is nothing according to the UEFA statutes or regulations that leads UEFA to refuse entry to any of the clubs currently involved in the investigations in Turkey," read a statement from UEFA earlier this week.
Fifa investigators are examining allegations of match-fixing or suspicious betting activity in national and club teams in more than 50 countries as they attempt to crack down on the spread of corruption.
In Italy prosecutors are investigating 18 suspicious matches and have made 16 arrests, including that of Italy international Beppe Signori.
Suspicions over more friendly internationals have also been aired, including Nigeria's 4-1 defeat of Argentina.
Cases of alleged match-fixing are being investigated in Turkey, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Germany, El Salvador, Israel, China and Malaysia.
World game: the tentacles of corruption
Finland
Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal has been jailed for two years and nine players with two clubs have been given suspended sentences for fixing league matches between 2008 and 2011.
Turkey
More than 31 players and officials are on remand. They include senior figures at Besiktas and Fenerbahce. Antalya hosted two friendlies, between Bolivia and Bulgaria and Latvia and Estonia, that Fifa believes were manipulated.
Greece
Some 68 players, referees, club officials and owners have been named in connection with alleged match-fixing. They are charged with offences including illegal gambling, fraud, extortion and money laundering.
Italy
The 'calcioscommesse' investigation by authorities in Cremoso has identified 18 suspicious matches, including one Serie A fixture between Inter and Lecce, and has made 16 arrests, including former international Beppe Signori.
South Korea
Prosecutors have arrested 46 players in connection with a match-fixing scandal. Some 11 brokers have already been charged with rigging games, and one player is believed to have committed suicide after being named.
Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe FA published a report last week confirming that players selected for the national team on a tour of Asia were paid $1,000 (£620) each to lose games by pre-arranged scores.
Nigeria
Nigeria's 4-1 defeat of Argentina in Abuja last month is being investigated after suspicious betting patterns were apparent, including around the final goal, a penalty awarded to Argentina in the fifth minute of injury time.
Hungary
Three former players and four referees were arrested earlier this month by a task force from the National Bureau of Investigation for allegedly manipulating the results of matches in Hungary, Germany, Finland, Croatia and Slovenia.
Germany
Seven members of a Croatian-led match-fixing ring were convicted earlier this year for manipulating hundreds of matches in several European matches, as well as European club matches, including a Champions League game.
El Salvador
Investigations are being conducted into allegations that clubs from El Salvador were involved in fixed matches in the qualifying stages of the Concacaf Champions League.
UAE
Fifa investigators believe that a four-team friendly tournament in Sharjah was targeted by match-fixers but that their actions prevented the plans being carried out.
Bahrain
A 'fake' Togo team lost 3-0 to Bahrain in a game arranged by Wilson Raj Perumal and refereed by the same official who was in charge of the Nigeria v Argentina friendly which is under investigation.
Israel
Police have arrested the owners and a former coach of Hapoel Petah Tikva and questioned the head of Israel's football federation about claims three games were fixed, and that they attempted to influence the choice of referees.
China
In March Chinese police arrested three referees on suspicion of match-fixing, including an official who presided at the 2002 World Cup.
Malaysia
Two club coaches have been arrested as part of a Fifa-led investigation. The Malaysian FA has established a task force to tackle corruption.
31 players and officials are on remand pending trial on match-fixing charges, including the chairman of league champions Fenerbahce and senior officials from Trabzonspor and Besiktas, and the former Turkish FA president has been questioned by police.
Three Besiktas officials have been arrested after the net was widened in the match-fixing investigation that has rocked Turkish football.
Besiktas coach Tayfur Havutcu, deputy chairman Serdar Adali and club security chief Ahmet Ates were detained by Istanbul police on Thursday as part of the ongoing probe into allegations of match-fixing last season. Aziz Yildirim and Sadri Sener, the presidents of fellow Super Lig clubs Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor, respectively, have also been arrested, and national newspapers have reported that 26 people are already awaiting trial.
Fenerbahce won the league title last season after a remarkable end-of-season run of form saw Trabzonspor edged out on goal difference. Besiktas lifted the Turkish Cup after beating Buyuksehir in a penalty shoot-out in the final. According to various reports, two Buyuksehir players were also arrested on Thursday.
The Turkish Football Federation will wait for the outcome of any legal action before launching its own investigation, and both Fenerbahce and Besiktas are expected to remain in the draw for this season's Champions League and Europa League, respectively.
"Given the information received so far by UEFA there is nothing according to the UEFA statutes or regulations that leads UEFA to refuse entry to any of the clubs currently involved in the investigations in Turkey," read a statement from UEFA earlier this week.
Fifa investigators are examining allegations of match-fixing or suspicious betting activity in national and club teams in more than 50 countries as they attempt to crack down on the spread of corruption.
In Italy prosecutors are investigating 18 suspicious matches and have made 16 arrests, including that of Italy international Beppe Signori.
Suspicions over more friendly internationals have also been aired, including Nigeria's 4-1 defeat of Argentina.
Cases of alleged match-fixing are being investigated in Turkey, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Germany, El Salvador, Israel, China and Malaysia.
World game: the tentacles of corruption
Finland
Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal has been jailed for two years and nine players with two clubs have been given suspended sentences for fixing league matches between 2008 and 2011.
More than 31 players and officials are on remand. They include senior figures at Besiktas and Fenerbahce. Antalya hosted two friendlies, between Bolivia and Bulgaria and Latvia and Estonia, that Fifa believes were manipulated.
Greece
Some 68 players, referees, club officials and owners have been named in connection with alleged match-fixing. They are charged with offences including illegal gambling, fraud, extortion and money laundering.
Italy
The 'calcioscommesse' investigation by authorities in Cremoso has identified 18 suspicious matches, including one Serie A fixture between Inter and Lecce, and has made 16 arrests, including former international Beppe Signori.
South Korea
Prosecutors have arrested 46 players in connection with a match-fixing scandal. Some 11 brokers have already been charged with rigging games, and one player is believed to have committed suicide after being named.
Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe FA published a report last week confirming that players selected for the national team on a tour of Asia were paid $1,000 (£620) each to lose games by pre-arranged scores.
Nigeria
Nigeria's 4-1 defeat of Argentina in Abuja last month is being investigated after suspicious betting patterns were apparent, including around the final goal, a penalty awarded to Argentina in the fifth minute of injury time.
Hungary
Three former players and four referees were arrested earlier this month by a task force from the National Bureau of Investigation for allegedly manipulating the results of matches in Hungary, Germany, Finland, Croatia and Slovenia.
Germany
Seven members of a Croatian-led match-fixing ring were convicted earlier this year for manipulating hundreds of matches in several European matches, as well as European club matches, including a Champions League game.
El Salvador
Investigations are being conducted into allegations that clubs from El Salvador were involved in fixed matches in the qualifying stages of the Concacaf Champions League.
UAE
Fifa investigators believe that a four-team friendly tournament in Sharjah was targeted by match-fixers but that their actions prevented the plans being carried out.
Bahrain
A 'fake' Togo team lost 3-0 to Bahrain in a game arranged by Wilson Raj Perumal and refereed by the same official who was in charge of the Nigeria v Argentina friendly which is under investigation.
Israel
Police have arrested the owners and a former coach of Hapoel Petah Tikva and questioned the head of Israel's football federation about claims three games were fixed, and that they attempted to influence the choice of referees.
China
In March Chinese police arrested three referees on suspicion of match-fixing, including an official who presided at the 2002 World Cup.
Malaysia
Two club coaches have been arrested as part of a Fifa-led investigation. The Malaysian FA has established a task force to tackle corruption.
Source - Asiagate
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