SkySports

Uefa look in to 40 matches

Majority of suspicious games involve Eastern European clubs

Last updated: 25th September 2009
Uefa have confirmed that 40 matches are now being investigated amid
suspicions of match-fixing.

The number of cases being looked into by Uefa has risen over the past
12 months from 25 to 40, with the majority of games involving clubs
from Eastern Europe.

The matches suspected of being fixed were played in the early
qualifying rounds of the Champions League and the Uefa Cup.

Peter Limacher, Uefa’s head of disciplinary services, told a
conference in London that there were now 40 games where suspicious
betting patterns had been identified, 15 of those in the last two
years.

Limacher said: "Right now it’s mainly Eastern Europe clubs being
investigated.

"They know they are not going to be involved later in the tournament
and they are going out, so decide, ‘Let’s make a profit’.

"In the cases we have seen it’s really the deliberate planned fix of
the games, the whole games. First the result at half-time, then after
90 minutes.

"It might take some time (to convict), but in cases where we can work
together with the police that might be possible."

In April, the Macedonian club FK Pobeda were banned from European
competition for eight years by Uefa after being found guilty of
match-fixing against Armenian side FC Pyunik in 2004 – they lost 3-1
at home in a Champions League first qualifying round.

FK Pobeda’s president Aleksandar Zabrcanec was banned for life from
any football-related activity, as was the player Nikolce Zdraveski.