By Duncan Mackay at the Ritz Carlton in Tokyo
December 16 – There is no reason to investigate Dinamo Zagreb’s controversial 7-1 defeat against Lyon in the Champions League despite 15 players and referees in Croatia being found guilty for their role in match-fixing, UEFA President Michel Platini claimed here today.
Platini insisted that the two events were unconnected and UEFA’s detection system to monitor irregular betting patterns had not picked up anything unusual even though the fact the French scored six times in the second-half ensured that they overturned Ajax’s five-goal advantage over them to sneak into the knock-out phase of the competition at the expense of the Dutch champions.
The spotlight continues to shine on the match after earlier this week 13 Croats were sentenced to between six and 10 months for fixing national league games – with two more receiving suspended terms – in a case linked to Europe’s biggest-ever match-fixing trial in Bochum two years ago.
“What has happened in Croatia has nothing to do with the Champions League game,” Platini told insideworldfootball.
“It’s a an old story about what happened in Germany two or three years ago.
“But there is nothing to do with this match.”
Earlier this week in an interview with the Greek newspaper Sportday, Platini had claimed that the result against Lyon could have been down to the Dinamo goalkeeper or defence having “a bad day”.
But suspicions continue to persist.
“If we find out something and get new information [about the Zagreb-Lyon match]we will reopen the case,” said Platini, who is here attending a meeting of FIFA’s ruling Executive Committee which is being held in conjunction with the Club World Cup.
“We have looked at the early warning system we have had in Europe for a long long time and there is nothing to be suspicious of at the moment.
“They are different stories.
“We have zero tolerance to match fixing.”
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