By Jaroslaw Adamowski
July 30 – Serbian Members of Parliament (MPs) have been discussing measures to combat match-fixing which has plagued the top tier of the country’s league. Some of the proposals put forward by local politicians include the much-awaited privatisation of state-owned clubs, introducing stricter regulations, as well as suspending the league.
The Serbian Football Association (FSS) recently launched an investigation as a response to reports indicating that a match between Red Star Belgrade and rival Belgrade-based side OFK was rigged.
“I think that privatisation is the solution. The entrance of proper, healthy capital into the clubs will improve their performance and enhance the quality of matches,” said Zoran Babic, the head of the parliamentary group of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
Meanwhile, Borislav Stefanovic, who heads the parliamentary group of the opposition Democratic Party (DS), said that the authorities should consider to suspend the league following the latest match-fixing accusations until the matter is properly investigated.
Local politicians have been mulling the privatisation of the country’s top two clubs, Partizan Belgrade and Red Star Belgrade, which, over the past years, have been struggling to stay financially afloat.
Earlier this year, Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic announced that various investors have expressed interest in acquiring shares in the two sides, should the government decide to privatise Partizan and Red Star.
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