By Andrew Warshaw
September 13 – The scourge of match-fixing throughout European football has now hit the Czech Republic and neighbouring Slovakia with 19 current and former players charged, and 20 others summoned for questioning over links to illegal betting dens in Asia.
The 12 arrested in Czech Republic are from the top two divisions – Czech media have cited FK Teplice and FK Jablonec – while in Slovakia those detained are reported to include four players from top division club Dunajska Streda.
Slovak police commander Tibor Gaspar was quoted as saying: “The head of the organised group was a person from Asia who, using intermediaries, solicited players in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. He offered players bribes of €2,000 to €60,000 per match. This included 19 matches in the Czech Republic and Slovakia including top league matches this season.”
Czech police raided 15 homes and other premises as part of an investigation instigated by the Czech Football Federation which said in a statement: “We first received serious findings 11 months ago that not all is in order in lower leagues in terms of betting.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734803682labto1734803682ofdlr1734803682owedi1734803682sni@w1734803682ahsra1734803682w.wer1734803682dna1734803682