Uefa have announced that none of the qualifying games for the 2008 European Championships are involved in the new match-fixing scandal to hit football.

It had been alleged in German magazine Der Spiegal that some of the Euro 2008 qualifying matches were included in a list of football matches which had been fixed.  The magazine also alleges suspicious betting patterns on these matches which was included in a 96-page dossier which has been handed to European Police investigators.

There has been speculation that England’s match with Croatia was fixed.  England lost the game 3-2 and as a result failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals.

However, Uefa’s director of communications, William Gaillard, has dismissed the allegations as rumours and insists that the 15 matches in the report feature only small clubs.

Gaillard said, “There is nothing at all from the European Championships.  It is pure fantasy that it involved Croatia.  There is no chance of England or Scotland having a back way into the finals.”

It was brought to the attention of Uefa that Asian betting syndicates may be profiting from fixed football matches, by bookmakers including Betfair after suspicious betting patterns were discovered by the bookies.

Before the Der Spiegal article Uefa had already announced they were to launch an investigation into The InterToto Cup game between Bulgarian team Cherno More and Macedonian side Makedonija on 7th July.  It is felt this match could have been fixed.  Cherno More won the game 4-0.

14 more games are now being investigated by Uefa, which all involve clubs from Eastern European countries such as, Serbia, Georgia, Croatia, Bulgaria and a Baltic country.

William Gaillard added, “We need to find striking evidence before we can initiate disciplinary procedures.  Some of these strange patterns may be strange patterns and that’s it.  Others may have something behind it.

“Whenever there is suspicion we try to gather information to try to see if this is a normal pattern, or not.  At any given time there may be 10 to 15 games that we are looking at.”

President of Uefa, Michel Platini has made fighting corruption in football a key aim of his term in office.  He has said the decision to work closely with EuroPol came from a recent meeting with the European Union during a conference on violence in sport.

Platini wants to see co-operation from governments to stamp out match-fixing and money laundering criminals.

He said, “I love football and we must protect it with everything in our power.”

Print version