Fresh match-fixing scandal pops up

BOCHUM: European football braced today for more details on a fresh match-fixing scandal reportedly involving huge sums of money placed with Asian bookmakers on suspect matches in nine countries.

Police across Europe carried out raids and arrests on Thursday, with German prosecutors suspecting that players, coaches, referees and officials from high-ranking European football had been offered bribes to throw games. According to press reports, 15 people were arrested in at least six European countries, with around 100 suspects in total, with matches in Turkey the main focus of investigation.

Prosecutors, who have been working in tandem with European football’s ruling body UEFA, were due to reveal more details at a news conference in the western German city of Bochum later today.

The Berliner Morgenpost daily cited one unnamed top investigator as saying the probe could result in “one of the biggest scandals in the history of professional football. “This earthquake will shake the credibility of the sport for a long time,” the paper quoted the investigator as saying.