Uefa Cup hit by irregular betting
Published on 2 October 2008
It seems not even top tier European football is free from corruption with news this week that UEFA are concerned that some preliminary first round games in the UEFA Cup could have been fixed.
The Association is to create a special gambling investigations unit after it emerged that 25 Cup matches were being studied due to irregular betting patterns.
European soccer's governing body said that the unit would be fully operational from next season and that it will feature experts reviewing suspected irregularities from matches throughout the continent.
“There is a danger within our game but we will not let irregular betting patterns or corruption affect the outcome of matches “said David Taylor, Secretary General for UEFA.
Taylor was speaking late last week following the conclusion of a two-day meeting of UEFA's Executive Committee in Bordeaux, France, and revealed that the special unit would work in close cooperation with governments and police.
“We will start recruiting immediately,' said Gianni Infantino, Legal Affairs Director for UEFA. “We need additional expertise. We have to set up the necessary tools to fight against this.'
Infantino revealed that UEFA had begun reviewing ten matches from the current season and 15 from last season, all from preliminary rounds of the UEFA Cup.
He revealed that these games could have been affected by irregular betting, a growing problem in soccer and other sports such as tennis. “Sports governing bodies reach some limits in this matter and need full support from authorities who have access to information they don't have” said Infantino.
British and Irish teams involved in this year’s preliminary stages of the UEFA Cup included Manchester City and Aston Villa (England), TNS and Bangor(Wales), Queen of the South (Scotland), Glentoran and Cliftonville (Northern Ireland) and St. Patrick’s Athletic and Cork City (Republic of Ireland). It must be stressed though that there is absolutely no suggestion at this stage that any of these clubs are involved in UEFA’s upcoming investigation.
|
