Soccer Match-fixing probe blowing up - 680 suspicious games

[Taco John]

Match-fixing probe: 680 suspicious games worldwide
By MIKE CORDER (Associated Press)

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.''

More:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/match-f...3303--sow.html

[That One Guy]

I used to gamble a lot on soccer and never suspected anything but I guess we should've seen it coming. Not everyone frowns upon corruption in sports the way we do and, in many countries, it's just a way of life still.

[Requiem]

Not surprising.

[Taco John]

Originally Posted by Requiem

Not surprising.

I disagree... 680 games is surprising to me. I can't believe corruption like that could go on so long. That's a lot of people in the loop not speaking up.

[2KBack]

Yes, soccer has a sterling reputation of sportsmanship...

[srphoenix]

lol, cant stop watching the ear flick... then the PAIN!!!

[Requiem]

Originally Posted by Taco John

I disagree... 680 games is surprising to me. I can't believe corruption like that could go on so long. That's a lot of people in the loop not speaking up.

Organized crime and cartels being linked to having an influence in soccer goes back decades. It looks like the article went on to state that ~ 425 were found to have been fixed since in the past seven to eight years. With that link and given the number of competitive matches all over the world that are played on a yearly basis, that number (to me) isn't all that surprising.

[Crushaholic]

I feel bad for the people trying to promote soccer, in America. This news will likely set their efforts, back...

[go_broncos]

Waiting for someone to say the same about NFL..
I have no doubts that NFL is fixed.

[NUB]

Never bet on anything in Asia, particularly if it is in or near India.

[Old Dude]

Anyone remember Tim Donaghy?

[elsid13]

With the number of matches and leagues I am surprised the number is so low, especial when you factor in Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia.

[Meck77]

Our own Reggie Rivers came by the tailgate years ago dragging a little cart of his autographed books.

4th and Fixed.

It's an interesting read covering the possibility that games are indeed fixed.

http://www.amazon.com/4th-Fixed-Rivers/dp/1402202199

[KipCorrington25]

This is commonplace in the NBA, that Donaghy incident was the tip of the ice berg in my opinon. The media has a vested interest in keeping it under wraps though, they have too much of a financial interest in the league. Beyond that I think it happens in all sports to a certain extent but the NBA makes WWE look legit they don't even try to hide it.

[go_broncos]

Originally Posted by NUB

Never bet on anything in Asia, particularly if it is in or near India.

NBA....

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by 2KBack

Yes, soccer has a sterling reputation of sportsmanship...

[NUB]

Originally Posted by go_broncos

NBA....

After the first Mavericks-Heat finals, the NBA too. I completely stopped watching the NBA after that, and never really bothered to pick it back up except for a game here and there.

[RhymesayersDU]

Originally Posted by KipCorrington25

This is commonplace in the NBA, that Donaghy incident was the tip of the ice berg in my opinon. The media has a vested interest in keeping it under wraps though, they have too much of a financial interest in the league. Beyond that I think it happens in all sports to a certain extent but the NBA makes WWE look legit they don't even try to hide it.

Can I have one of your tinfoil hats, brah?

[loborugger]

At some point I imagine something like this will break in the NFL. There is just too much $$$ for some ambitious crime boss to not at least try to get a fix on the games.

[That One Guy]

Originally Posted by loborugger

At some point I imagine something like this will break in the NFL. There is just too much $$$ for some ambitious crime boss to not at least try to get a fix on the games.

But if you're gambling, you can put money on any game you want. Why put it on a game like the NFL when you can bet on a soccer game of which there are like 87 being played at any given time?

Also, the amount of money I saw as being involved (it was when the numbers were a bit less, I think) would not have even begun to influence an NFL game. I think I saw something like up to $100k per game spent on fixes. There's no way anyone throws a game and kills their career for a piece of that $100k.

[StugotsIII]

Soccer is terrible.

[broncocalijohn]

Originally Posted by Crushaholic

I feel bad for the people trying to promote soccer, in America. This news will likely set their efforts, back...

Yep. All those hard earned 0 to 0 games were really fixed from both sides to not really try to score. SO can one of the soccer fans tell me now that normally a game is 4 to 3 but crooked, fixed games made them 1 to 0 or 0 to 0?

[fontaine]

Originally Posted by broncocalijohn

Yep. All those hard earned 0 to 0 games were really fixed from both sides to not really try to score. SO can one of the soccer fans tell me now that normally a game is 4 to 3 but crooked, fixed games made them 1 to 0 or 0 to 0?

A normal game is a boring 1-0, 1-1 dull outcome.

I'd say it's the other way around and fixed games are where more goals are scored because normal in soccer is boring.

[TheElusiveKyleOrton]

Oh good, the anti-soccer morons came to a soccer thread to talk about how they dislike soccer. Love it when that happens.

HURR DURR SOCCER IZ TEH DUMZ.

[Bacchus]

Originally Posted by Taco John

Match-fixing probe: 680 suspicious games worldwide
By MIKE CORDER (Associated Press)

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.''

More:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/match-f...3303--sow.html

HAHAHA, really, how hard can it be to fix a 1-0 game?