By Andrew Warshaw
July 11 – Worrying claims that spot-fixing was rife among players in the English Premier League are to be investigated by FIFA.
The betting fraud claims were made by Norwegian defender Claus Lundekvam (pictured above), who used to captain Southampton.
Lundekvam said in a newspaper interview in his homeland that he was regularly involved in spot-fixing during his nine years at the English south-coast club who, ironically, have just been promoted back into the top flight after a considerable absence.
“FIFA is monitoring this issue and involved its chief investigator in England,” a statement said.
“Once all information is known it will be decided who is leading the investigations.”
In the interview Lundekvam revealed the full extent of the practice, including colluding with the opposition.
“For a while we did this almost every week,” he said.
“We made a fair bit of money.
“We could make deals with the opposing captain about, for example, betting on the first throw, the first corner, who started with the ball, a yellow card or a penalty.
“Those were the sorts of thing we had influence over.”
The actual results, he says, were never rigged even though individual incidents like throw-ins were.
“The results were never on the agenda,” he said.
“That is something I would never have done.
“We were professional competitors.
“Even though what we did, of course, was illegal, it was just a fun thing.”
Lundekvam, who played for Southampton between 1996 and 2008 and won 40 caps for his country, said the scam went on for years.
And the 39-year-old disclosed it was not just Southampton players who broke the rules.
“I know it happened at other clubs as well,” he revealed.
“It was part of the lifestyle and the excitement.
“Whatever we could bet on, we bet on.”
Another ex-Southampton captain, Francis Benali (pictured above), denied there was a culture of spot-fixing at the club.
“I can say categorically I have no knowledge of the betting allegations made by Claus,” the Briton told the BBC.
“I wasn’t aware of it going on in the past so I certainly don’t know of it going on now.”
“It is widely known that Claus has had quite a few personal problems in recent times and I wonder if that is why he has come out with this story.
“The way it has come across, it’s like all of us were at it and all in on the betting scam and everyone had knowledge of it.
“That wasn’t the case.”
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