Bulgarian match-fixing arrests focussed on top league and top teams

svetlozar lazarov

By Alexander Krassimirov
December 18 – Bulgarian police investigating the match-fixing scandal in the country have said that their focus is on matches from Bulgaria’s top division – A grupa.

Earlier this week Bulgarian law enforcement authorities, working with the Bulgarian FA and UEFA advisors, launched a massive crackdown on match-fixing, the result being the arrest and questioning of nine players.

Initially it was believed that the object of the investigating were friendly games played abroad involving Lokomotiv Plovdiv and Luybimets.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior Svetlozar Lazarov (pictured) has revealed that matches in question are from the national championship. He declined to give the exact number of players questioned, since the investigation is still ongoing, however it is understood to be considerably more than the initial nine players the police swooped on in their first raids.

“We’re talking about matches of the Bulgarian championship. I will not talk about football games and football teams, because it is an extremely sensitive issue. I think it should be discussed in the courtroom, not by me as Secretary. Do not hurry to talk about detainees. I’m not convinced that it is currently necessary to have such measures given. My colleagues are extremely satisfied with the actions taken and seized evidence,” Lazarov told a press conference.

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1731568348labto1731568348ofdlr1731568348owedi1731568348sni@v1731568348orimi1731568348ssark1731568348.redn1731568348axela1731568348