French authorities investigate whether PSG game against Red Star was fixed
• L’Équipe says Red Star official suspected of €5m bet on 6-1 loss
• Clubs strongly deny wrongdoing in Champions League game
French authorities are investigating whether a Champions League game involving Paris Saint-Germain and Red Star Belgrade was fixed.
Both clubs have strongly denied wrongdoing after L’Équipe reported that a Red Star official was suspected of betting €5m (£4.4m) on the team losing by five goals in a match PSG won 6-1. It is understood, Uefa passed on suspicions to the French authorities after the 3 October game at the Parc des Princes in Group C, which also includes Liverpool and Napoli.
France’s financial prosecutor’s office confirmed an investigation had been opened but declined to comment on the report.
Red Star, who drew their opening group game 0-0 at home to Napoli, said: “It is with the greatest anger and resentment that Red Star deny today’s report in the French newspaper L’Équipe in connection to doubts about the outcome of the Paris Saint-Germain-Red Star match and the involvement of anyone from Red Star in possible improper actions.
“The allegations from this report can cause great damage to the reputation of our club, and therefore Red Star insists both Uefa and the competent investigating authorities in Serbia and France investigate these doubts to the end and come to the truth.
“Today’s technologies and various other mechanisms have progressed so much that it is simply not possible for this case to be left unresolved. Red Star expects that the truth about this must come in as short a time as possible and that any doubt about the involvement of any member of our club in any possible disruptive actions must be removed.”
PSG expressed “amazement and indignation” and added: “Paris Saint-Germain reiterates its commitment to a fundamental principle of sport, that of the integrity of competitions and therefore refutes any form of practice that could call into question that integrity.”
Their statement read: “It was with the greatest stupefaction that Paris Saint-Germain discovered this article on the L’Équipe website regarding suspicions of match-fixing concerning the Champions League game with Red Star Belgrade. The club categorically rejects any and all direct and indirect implication in relation to these suspicions and would like to point out at no moment has Paris Saint-Germain been approached by the National Financial Court in charge of the investigation. PSG remains at the disposal of the investigators and will not tolerate the slightest attack on its reputation nor that of its officials. To that end the club reserves the right to take legal action against any party that makes defamatory statements against the club and/or its officials.”
ARJEL, the body in charge of regulating online gambling in France, told L’Équipe it did not notice any suspicious bets on the game.
A Uefa spokesperson said: “Uefa never comments on potential, or the existence of, investigations into alleged match-fixing so as to not compromise the process of such investigations.
“Uefa only communicates on specific cases/matches once disciplinary proceedings have been opened and/or decisions have been taken. Decisions taken by Uefa’s disciplinary bodies related to match-fixing are listed here”
Top clubs raided and leading agents, managers and referees interrogated by police in Belgium in huge corruption investigation
A series of raids by Belgium's federal police on Wednesday have resulted in the arrest of one of the country's most influential agents
Referees, officials, agents and coaches at Belgium's biggest football clubs are being questioned after a major investigation into corruption.
The federal public prosecutor's office is looking into charges of fraud, tax evasion and money laundering, with Club Brugge and Anderlecht - the country's two biggest clubs - having their offices raided on Wednesday morning. These came as part of 44 raids nationwide and 13 more across France, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia.
Agent Mogi Bayat, one of the most influential intermediaries in the Belgian top flight, has been arrested.
Bayat has previously been a director at Charleroi but has, in recent years, become one of the most important cogs in the Belgian transfer machine. Another agent, Dejan Veljkovic, has been interviewed by police according to De Standaard.
Club Brugge coach Ivan Leko has been questioned by police while two referees - including the referee of Celtic's Champions League qualifier against Rosenborg earlier this season, Bart Vertenten - are also under interrogation.
"Club Brugge will give full cooperation to the investigation and has nothing to hide," club chairman Bart Verhaeghe told Flemish TV channel VTM Nieuws.
The federal prosecutor said a year-long probe into soccer shows evidence of "suspect financial operations" by sports agents and indications "of possible influencing of games" over the last season.
The statement said some soccer agents, independent from one another, "would have schemed to hide" transfer commissions, payments of players and coaches, and other payments from the Belgian authorities, causing tax losses.
It was during the investigation, the prosecutor's office said, that indications appeared that there may have been match-fixing during the 2017-18 season.
UPDATE
19 charged in Belgium football fraud probe: Prosecutor
BRUSSELS • Belgian prosecutors have charged 19 suspects and detained nine in a massive fraud and match-fixing investigation that has mired Belgium's elite league in scandal, they said yesterday.
The charges came after police carried out a massive operation in Belgium on Wednesday, arresting 29 people, 10 of whom were released without charge. Among the detained were at least three players' agents, a referee, and a top executive from a major football club.
Mogi Bayat, portrayed in the media as Belgium's most powerful sports agent, was charged with money laundering and conspiracy, a statement added.
He was detained pending his next hearing, as were fellow agents Dejan Veljkovic and Karim Mejjati, who were questioned this week as part of the operation targeting Belgian football's elite.
Referee Bart Vertenten was also charged with conspiracy and arrested, while former Anderlecht club lawyer Laurent Denis was charged for both conspiracy and money laundering.
On Thursday, another referee, Sebastien Delferiere, was charged but was immediately released on parole.
Vertenten and Delferiere were suspended on Thursday with immediate effect by the Belgian Football Federation.
The charges against referees are part of a probe into suspected match-fixing by Veljkovic in a failed effort to save former top-tier club Mechelen from relegation to the second division.
Club Bruges coach Ivan Leko, whose team are playing in the Champions League, was charged with money-laundering on Thursday and released.
Hearings before the judge were held throughout the night, with former Anderlecht boss Herman van Holsbeeck released without charge.
Jones handed snooker suspension over match-fixing allegations
World number 39, Jamie Jones has been handed suspension from the World Snooker Tour and will face a disciplinary hearing from The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).
The case relates to a International Championship Qualification tie played between David John and Graeme Dott on 29 September 2016. 30 year old Jones is accused of being “party to, or facilitated, the manipulation of the outcome” of the match in question.
A WPBSA statement outlined: “Following a WPBSA investigation into alleged breaches of the WPBSA rules by David John, a decision has been taken today that Jamie Jones has a case to answer.
“The allegation is that Jamie Jones was party to, or facilitated, the manipulation of the outcome of David John’s match with Graeme Dott that was played at the International Championship Qualifiers in Preston on 29 September 2016.
“Jason Ferguson, the chairman of the WPBSA has taken the decision to suspend Jones from attending or competing on the World Snooker tour with immediate effect. This suspension will remain in place until the conclusion of the hearing or hearings and the determination of this matter. Jones has the right to appeal his decision.”
The WPBSA also emphasised that no matches played by Jones were under investigation at this stage.
Betting suspended on Waterford v Limerick following flurry of 'suspicious bets'
Betting has been suspended by a number of bookmakers on tonight's League of Ireland clash between Waterford FC and Limerick FC following a late flurry of 'suspicious bets'.
It's been a miserable season for Limerick, with Revenue reportedly issuing a winding-up order against the company which owns the club while they also sit second bottom in the Premier Division table ahead of Bray.
The club is entering a massive two weeks as they prepare to take on old foes Finn Harps a two legged promotion/relegation playoff, with the first game getting underway at Finn Park, Ballybofey on Bank Holiday Monday (October 29).
But before that crucial tie, Limerick must get through their final league game of the regular season as they travel to the RSC to face Waterford FC this evening (7:45pm).
However, betting on the match has been suspended by most bookies, including BoyleSports and Ladbrokes, after "suspicious betting patterns emerged" in the lead up to the game.
Paddy Power confirmed to Buzz.ie that they too have suspended betting on the fixture.
Limerick opened at 25/1 to win the game earlier this week but that shortened to as low as 4/1 after a number of late bets were placed on the away team grabbing a win.
According to RTE journalist Rory Houston, the odds on the club winning the game went from 20/1 to 11/2 in just over an hour following a flurry of bets.
€85,000 worth of bets has been placed on the game, with 93% gone on Limerick, while most other games in the league reportedly have on average around €8,000 matched on Betfair.
Limerick boss Tommy Barrett recently admitted that he may be forced to field a weakened team in tonight's clash against Waterford - who have already sealed a 4th-place finish - due to the short turn around before Monday's first-leg playoff.
"I have to look after my squad first and foremost and we’ve so many Injuries and we’ve such low numbers so to play on a Friday away from home and then up to Harps on a Monday is a really big ask, especially considering they’ve had a ten day break between matches,” he said on the on Between the Stripes LOI podcast.
“I know a lot of people will say we are full-time but we’re not. I’ve eight full-time players and two of those are long-term injuries and out of the other six lads there’s only one of those whose experienced at the moment in Shane Duggan, all the rest are young lads.”
Earlier this week the High Court adjourned an application by the Revenue to wind up Limerick FC for three weeks.
Spanish police arrest tennis players in match-fixing ring
MADRID (AP) — Spanish police say 28 professional tennis players, including one who participated in last year’s U.S. Open, have been linked to an international organized group accused of fixing matches.
Authorities said on Thursday the players tainted results after taking bribes from an Armenian ring that was dismantled in October. Fifteen people were arrested at the time, including some of the tennis players.
Eleven houses were raided and police seized luxury vehicles, a shotgun, credit cards, and 167,000 euros ($191,000) in cash.
It wasn’t clear if the player who took part in the U.S. Open was among those detained.
Police accused Spaniard player Marc Fornell-Mestres, whose highest career singles ranking was 236th in 2007, of acting as the link between players and the Armenian ring that bribed them for betting purposes.
No other names had been immediately disclosed by authorities.
The 36-year-old Fornell-Mestres was provisionally suspended from professional tennis at the end of last year, according to the Tennis Integrity Unit, which said the suspension related to an investigation into “alleged breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.” Fornell-Mestres was ranked 1007th in singles and 772th in doubles at the end of 2018.
It was a warning by the Tennis Integrity Unit in 2017 that prompted Spanish authorities to begin the investigation.
Police said the organized group bribed the players to guarantee predetermined results and used the identities of thousands of citizens to place international bets on the matches. Authorities said members of the Armenian ring attended the matches to ensure the players complied with what was previously agreed.
European Union law enforcement agency Europol, which supported the operation led by Spanish authorities, said at least 97 matches from lower-tier Futures and Challenger tournaments were fixed.
In total, 83 people were implicated in the probe, including the alleged leaders of the Armenian group. More than 40 bank accounts used by those allegedly involved with the ring were blocked by authorities.
Police are also investigating what they suspect are strong links between some of the suspects arrested in Spain and an Armenian-Belgian crime gang broken up by Belgium police last year, also suspected of fixing tennis matches. In the Belgium case, police announced in June the arrest of 13 people in Belgium and said the gang also targeted lower-level tennis matches.
Four tennis players in French custody as match-fixing ring unravels
PARIS -- Four tennis players are in French custody on suspicion of helping an organized gambling syndicate believed to have fixed hundreds of low-tier matches, sources close to the investigation told The Associated Press.
The players are suspected of working for Grigor Sargsyan, the 28-year-old known as the Maestro. Police believe the Belgium-based kingpin may have paid more than 100 players from at least half a dozen countries.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss details publicly, said at least one suspect told investigators that he fixed around two dozen matches for Sargsyan.
They named the players as Jules Okala, 21; Mick Lescure, 25; Yannick Thivant, 31; and Jerome Inzerillo, 28. None operated in the highest spheres of tennis. The career-best singles ranking of any of them was 354, reached by Inzerillo in 2012. The arrests of Okala and Lescure were first reported Wednesday by French sports newspaper L'Equipe.
The detentions are part of months of digging by police working across Europe to unravel a massive match-fixing scheme, organized via encrypted messaging and involving dozens of low-ranked players who struggle to make ends meet by playing in small tournaments.
A dozen or more other French players are expected to be questioned in coming days or weeks. An investigator said France was one of the countries "hardest hit" by the syndicate, which targeted lower-level pro-circuit tournaments. Okala and Lescure were detained before they were to play in a modest tournament in Bressuire, France, this week that offers a total of $15,000 in prize money.
Investigators have also questioned other players in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia and Bulgaria and are looking to question others, including both players and managers, in the United States, Chile and Egypt.
Police say Sargsyan employed mules, people hired for a few euros to place bets for the syndicate that were small enough to slip under the radar of gambling watchdogs.
In all, more than 100 players are suspected of having worked with the syndicate, fixing matches, sets or games in exchange for payments of 500 to 3,000 euros ($570 to $3,400), with the deals sometimes organized through encrypted messages.
"The impression we're getting is that it is very commonplace," one official told the AP. Another said several hundred matches are thought to have been fixed.
Investigators fear that players corrupted by the syndicate could suck others into the scheme if left unchecked and could go on to infect bigger tournaments if they climb higher in tennis' rankings.
"In time, they could be managers of other new players or trainers, so we have to get them out of the system or they could corrupt others in a few years," one official told the AP.
Sargsyan was swept up in a wave of arrests in Belgium in June and remains in custody, facing organized crime, match-fixing, money laundering and forgery charges. A suspected banker for the syndicate also faces money laundering and organized crime charges, while four others are being investigated for illegal gambling and finding mules.
Because the bets were small, the risk of detection was "almost zero," but the profits could still be considerable if many bets were placed, one official said.
Still unclear is whether the Belgium-based syndicate was linked to another match-fixing and gambling operation, also involving Armenians, that unraveled in Spain. Spanish police last week announced that 28 professional tennis players, including one who participated in last year's US Open, were linked to that ring, taking bribes to fix results that the group bet on using fake identities.
WELL-KNOWN UKRAINIAN COACH SUSPENDED FOR LIFE FROM FOOTBALL FOR MATCH-FIXING
Ukrainian coach Alexander Sevidov suspended for life from football for match-fixing.
About it told the leader of the program “Great Football” Alexander Denisov.
In several, unrelated investigations into match-fixing, will be permanently suspended from football two Manager. Is Rostislav Kozar, President of “Sum”. And another man who worked in many Ukrainian clubs is Alexander Sevidov. The decision of disqualification will appear in the near future, – said Denisov.
Sevidov, the last place of work which in Ukraine was PFK “Sumy”, where he was appointed consultant head coach, together with the President of the Sumy club Rostislav CASAREM is accused of carrying out fraud relating to bribery of referees or opponents, betting on fixed the results in the matches involving PFK “Sumy”.
Informed Sport 24 wrote that the control and disciplinary Committee of the football Federation of Ukraine deprived PFK “Sumy” status of professional club.
Also we will remind that in 2016, the First League of the championship of Ukraine took place contractual match between “Mariupol” and “Gornyak-Sport”. Coached the Mariupol team then Alexander Sevidov.
Several players and the president of Huesca arrested for alleged match fixing
The fight against corruption in football continues with several first and second division players arrested, including Huesca president Agustin Lasaosa.
According to Servimedia, a number of current players have been arrested for match-fixing and citing sources among the security services, have named the accused.
Raul Bravo is said to be the ringleader, alongside Borja Fernandez from Real Valladolid, ex-player Carlos Aranda, Samu Saiz of Getafe, and Inigo Lopez, currently at Deportivo.
In addition, other detainees are the president of Huesca, Lasaosa and Juan Carlos Galindo, who is head of the medical staff at the club. The police also spent several hours at the club's headquarters.
Police sources have also notified news agency EFE, that the operation is aiming to uncover a sports betting ring, with the accused being linked to organised crime, corruption and money laundering.
Valladolid vs Valencia under suspicion in match-fixing case
The ongoing investigations into match-fixing in Spanish football could have serious repercussions in LaLiga Santander with Valencia's win over Valldolid on the final day now the subject of attention.
Valencia needed victory to return to the Champions League and they got the job done with a 2-0 result, although both goals came from some questionable defending from Valladolid.
Espejo Publico have reported that the clubs themselves are not thought to have been involved, but there are allegations that some players might have sold the game in order to win money on the betting market.
Bets on the game were more plentiful than usual.
Borja Fernandez, one of those arrested on Tuesday morning, was a starter for Valladolid on the day, in what was his last game as a professional.
Ukrainian Ploskina fined and banned for life for match-fixing
LONDON (Reuters) - Ukrainian Helen Ploskina, ranked 821 in the world in women’s singles, has been banned for life and fined $20,000 for match-fixing offences, the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old’s offences took place in October 2016, it added.
The TIU said an investigation had established that Ploskina “introduced another player to a corrupted, who offered that individual payment in return for agreeing to fix the outcome of matches.”
Ploskina was also found guilty of two offences of failing to report knowledge of the corrupt activity and failing to co-operate with a TIU investigation.
The Ukrainian had a career-high WTA ranking of 698 in 2014.
Match fix: Seven Valladolid players 'paid to lose against Valencia'
Seven players of Spanish first division side Real Valladolid were paid by a recently dismantled match-fixing gang to deliberately lose their final match of the season against Valencia, daily newspaper El Mundo reported Tuesday.
Valencia beat Valladolid 2-0 and qualified for the Champions League. Valladolid, owned since September by former Brazilian international Ronaldo, were already safe from relegation.
The paper said police had intercepted telephone conversations involving retired footballer Carlos Aranda, who was arrested last week on suspicion of leading the ring, where he is heard saying "there were seven (Valladolid) players bought" in the match.
"Valencia wins the first half and the second, okay?" he is caught saying according to a transcript of another intercepted phone call obtained by the newspaper.
Valladolid captain Borja Fernandez is among the players who were paid to lose the match, according to a judicial document obtained by El Mundo, which has broken several football-related legal stories.
Valladolid announced last week they had opened a disciplinary procedure against Fernandez amid reports that authorities were monitoring Valencia's final day win against the club.
"We hope that it is nothing. In any case, I think it is good that we investigate, because we would all fight against corruption," Ronaldo said during an interview published last week in sports daily AS.
Contacted by AFP, judicial authorities in Aragon, the region in which the court investigating the case is located, refused to confirm the El Mundo report.
Aranda was one of several former Spanish footballers who were arrested on May 28th on suspicion of leading a match-fixing gang that operated in the country's first and second divisions.
The authorities launched their investigation in 2018 following a suspect match between Huesca and Tarragona in the second division
Australian police have made six arrests following an investigation into match-fixing in a Counter-Strike tournament, it has been announced.
The operation involved raids in Mill Park, South Morang and Mount Eliza, all in the state of Victoria, and also in Perth, West Australia, where no arrests were made.
The six men, aged between 19 and 22, were detained on suspicion of "engaging in conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome of event or event contingency, or use of corrupt conduct information for betting purposes", according to a statement from the Victoria Police. They were interviewed and released pending further inquiries, with the investigation still ongoing.
If proven guilty, the six men, whose identities were not revealed, could face up to 10 years in jail.
The investigation was launched in March of 2019 following a complaint from a betting agency regarding suspicious betting activity in a CS:GO tournament. It is believed that at least five matches were impacted and over 20 bets were placed by Australian punters.
“Esports is really an emerging sporting industry and with that will come the demand for betting availability on the outcomes of tournaments and matches," said Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Paterson.
"It’s important that police and other agencies within the law enforcement, gaming and betting industries continue to work together to target any suspicious activity.
“These warrants also highlight that police will take any reports of suspicious or criminal activity within esports seriously, and we encourage anyone with information to come forward."
Diego Matos: Brazilian tennis player banned for life for match fixing
Brazilian tennis player Diego Matos has been banned from professional tennis for life and fined $125,000 (£100,600) after being convicted of multiple match-fixing offences.
Matos has also been ordered to repay $12,000 (£9,650) received in winnings in tournaments played in Ecuador.
An independent anti-corruption hearing found that 31-year-old Matos had contrived the outcome of 10 tennis matches played during 2018 at ITF level tournaments in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Portugal and Spain.
In addition to the match-fixing charges, the player was also found guilty of not co-operating with a Tennis Integrity Unit investigation as he refused to comply fully with requests to provide his mobile phone for forensic examination, and failed to supply financial records.
Mato, who had been provisionally suspended from tennis since 6 December, 2018 was ranked 373rd in doubles, with a highest singles ranking of 580th in April 2012.
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Tula Arsenal expelled from basketball Super League for “contract”
Moscow. 9th December. INTERFAX.RU - Arsenal Basketball Club (Tula) has been expelled from the second division of the Men's Super League for participating in a match with Dynamo (Stavropol), the league press service said.
"Given the warning for violation of the spirit of sports rivalry and fair play in the 2017/18 season, exclude Arsenal (Tula) Second Division from the XXIX Russian Basketball Championship for men's clubs / Super League teams," the statement said .
In addition, a decision was made to annul the result of the match, “Arsenal” - “Dynamo” and to count the teams technical defeat “deprivation of right”.
Also, until the end of the 2019/20 season, three Arsenal players were disqualified: Pavel Krykov, Dmitry Rytenko and Egor Shcherbinsky. The remaining players received warnings, emphasized in the RBF.
The press service noted that the coaches of the participating teams of the match were also disqualified. The coach of the Tula team Viktor Uskov was disqualified until December 31, 2021, and the mentor of the Stavropol Dynamo Alexander Sosnin until the end of the 2019/20 season.
Dynamo players Vladislav Ilyinov, Alexei Karpov, Georgy Korotyaev, Leonid Nikitenko, Vadim Nosov, Dmitry Prokin and Artem Stepantsov received warnings about the inadmissibility of violating the principle of fair sports, the RBF said.
"In the event of a repeated violation of this kind, consider the exclusion of Dynamo from the participants of the Competitions held under the auspices of the RBF and the disqualification of these players," the press service said.
The match was held on December 7 in Tula and ended in a victory for the hosts. At the same time, the last successful attack was carried out by the Tulaks almost seven minutes before the final siren. After that, Dynamo scored six points in the next two minutes.
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Belarus main hockey championship match recognized as contractual
Eyewitnesses of the match were confused by the fact that one team lost the other with a score of 5: 6, although in the course of the game it led 5: 1
Moscow. November 22. INTERFAX.RU - The Investigative Committee of Belarus recognized the match of the national hockey championship Dynamo Molodechno - Mogilev as a contract.
According to the UK, "in conjunction with the GUBOPiK Ministry of Internal Affairs, the fact of exerting an unlawful influence on the results of the match was revealed."
The match Dynamo Molodechno - Mogilev was held on November 12 as part of the next round of the Extra League A championship - the main division in Belarusian hockey. During the game, already in the second period, Dynamo were 5-1. But then the opponent changed: first he recouped, and then pulled out a victory - 6: 5 in favor of “Mogilev”. Hockey players of “Mogilev” scored four goals in the third period.
The dynamics of the development of events on the ice aroused suspicions of a conspiracy among the fans, and the journalists began to analyze the rates of the bookmakers on the game. Coaches of the teams, commenting on the situation, limited themselves to the phrases "we need to figure it out." The hockey federation began to understand: scheduled a meeting of the disciplinary committee.
According to the SC, several representatives of the Dynamo Molodechno team were found guilty. A criminal case has been instituted against them under Part 1 of Art. 14, part 1, article 253 (attempt to obtain illegal compensation by athletes for influencing the results of a competition) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. As part of the investigation of the Investigative Committee, objective data were obtained on their involvement in the commission of unlawful acts, "the athletes questioned as suspects confirmed that the named match was of a contractual nature."
Currently, Dynamo Molodechno takes third place in the championship standings. In 26 matches, it scored 44 points and is 13 points behind the leading Neman Grodno team. “Mogilev” - in the penultimate, seventh place: 26 points in 26 matches.
FORMER WORLD NO. 69 JOAO SOUZA RECEIVES LIFETIME BAN FOR MATCH-FIXING
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Joao Olavo Soares de Souza of Brazil has been banned for life and fined $200,000 by the International Tennis Federation after being found guilty of match-fixing and corruption.
The Tennis Integrity Unit announced the sanctions Saturday following a hearing earlier this month in London. The 31-year-old Brazilian player had been provisionally suspended since March of last year.
An integrity unit investigation revealed that between 2015 and 2019, Souza was involved in match-fixing at ATP Challenger and ITF Futures tournaments in Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Czech Republic.
Anti-corruption hearing officer Richard McLaren found Souza guilty of the charges, and of failing to report corrupt approaches, of failing to cooperate with an investigation—including destroying evidence—and soliciting other players not to use their best efforts.
Souza reached a career-high singles ranking of 69 in April 2015.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has handed a lifetime ban to two players from the Laos national team after they were found guilty of match-fixing.
Khampheng Sayavutthi and Lembo Saysana were found to be in breach of Article 66.1 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code after the governing body revealed that the duo had attempted to manipulate the result of a game between Hong Kong and Laos on 5 October 2017.
In a statement, the AFC’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee said: “The Laos Football Federation has been informed of the decisions and the AFC will request FIFA to extend the bans worldwide in due course.
“The latest sanction demonstrates the AFC is fully committed to its zero-tolerance policy on match-fixing and its regulations provide for tough sanctions for match manipulation.
“In order to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, no other details will be disclosed.”
Hong Kong won 4-0 against the Laos national team, scoring goals in the 10th, 13th and 73rd minutes before scoring again in the 83rd minute.
At the beginning of this year, the AFC upped its commitment to tackling match-fixing after extending its long-standing partnership with sports data and content supplier Sportradar.
The extension, which will last until the AFC Asian Cup China 2023, will see Sportradar continue to support the AFC Integrity Unit with the Intelligence and Investigation Services (I&I) which has helped combat match-fixing across the region.
Bulgarian brothers banned by Tennis Integrity Unit for betting and match-fixing
Two Bulgarian tennis players - brothers Karen and Yuri Khachatryan - have received lifetime and 10-year bans respectively from the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) after being convicted of a number of corruption, betting and match-fixing offences.
Karen Khachatryan, ranked 2,514th in the International Tennis Futures (ITF) world rankings, was found guilty of five cases of match fixing, nine cases of soliciting other players not to use best efforts and a repeated failure to cooperate with the TIU’s investigation.
As a result, he is banned from participating in any events recognised by tennis’s governing bodies and must pay a $250,000 fine. He had already been provisionally suspended since the investigation was launched in June 2019.
His younger brother Yuri, 3,126th in the ITF rankings, was found to have made “corrupt approaches” to another player, delaying in complying with the TIU’s investigation, providing devices with which he had tampered to the TIU, bet on tennis and facilitated other people’s gambling on tennis.
Yuri Khachatryan will receive a 10-year ban and a $50,000 fine.
Both players’ offenses were in violation of Section D of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme, which – among other things – forbids “solicit[ing] or facilitat[ing] any other person to wager” on tennis, “attempt[ing] to contrive the outcome” of a tennis match, soliciting a player to not use their best effort or offering a player money or benefits to not use their best efforts.
The players were also in violation of Section F of the programme, which says that players must cooperate with TIU investigations.
The TIU is set to rebrand as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on 1 January 2021. The ITIA will take charge of betting integrity enforcement in tennis in 2021 and add doping under its jurisdiction in 2022.
Last month, the TIU appointed Ben Rutherford, who is currently legal counsel and integrity unit manager at World Rugby, as its new senior legal director.
Kyle McKinstry issued eight-year match-fixing ban by DRA
The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) has banned Northern Ireland’s Kyle McKinstry for eight years for two match-fixing incidents and failing to produce his phone records to the governing body.
McKinstry has been issued a six-and-a-half-year ban for match-fixing, on top of an additional 18-month suspension for failing to provide the DRA with an itemised phone bill.
In August, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) detected ‘suspicious betting’ activity in some of the games he had played in during May and April, when he was first suspended.
Former BDO World Championship quarter-finalist McKinstry posted a statement on his Facebook account, which read: “I made a bad error of judgement at a bad time in my life. This is something I will regret for the rest of my life and I hope this is a catalyst for anyone else in a bad position.
“I am going to work hard and keep my head down and hopefully put this behind me and come back bigger and stronger.”
He admitted to fixing a contest against England’s David Evans during the ‘A Night at the Darts’ series, which McKinstry lost 5-0, to a disciplinary committee. His 5-1 defeat at the hands of Netherlands’ Wessel Nijman was also under investigation.
Nijman was also banned for five years in October for breaching anti-corruption regulations, but there is no indication that Evans was involved in the incident.
“This shows that any player found guilty of match-fixing at any level of the sport will be caught and will face a lengthy ban,” added DRA Chairman, Nigel Mawer.
“The specific suspension for failing to produce itemised phone billing is welcomed, as the requirement for co-operation from players is an important part of any DRA investigation.”
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• L’Équipe says Red Star official suspected of €5m bet on 6-1 loss
• Clubs strongly deny wrongdoing in Champions League game
French authorities are investigating whether a Champions League game involving Paris Saint-Germain and Red Star Belgrade was fixed.
Both clubs have strongly denied wrongdoing after L’Équipe reported that a Red Star official was suspected of betting €5m (£4.4m) on the team losing by five goals in a match PSG won 6-1. It is understood, Uefa passed on suspicions to the French authorities after the 3 October game at the Parc des Princes in Group C, which also includes Liverpool and Napoli.
France’s financial prosecutor’s office confirmed an investigation had been opened but declined to comment on the report.
Red Star, who drew their opening group game 0-0 at home to Napoli, said: “It is with the greatest anger and resentment that Red Star deny today’s report in the French newspaper L’Équipe in connection to doubts about the outcome of the Paris Saint-Germain-Red Star match and the involvement of anyone from Red Star in possible improper actions.
“The allegations from this report can cause great damage to the reputation of our club, and therefore Red Star insists both Uefa and the competent investigating authorities in Serbia and France investigate these doubts to the end and come to the truth.
“Today’s technologies and various other mechanisms have progressed so much that it is simply not possible for this case to be left unresolved. Red Star expects that the truth about this must come in as short a time as possible and that any doubt about the involvement of any member of our club in any possible disruptive actions must be removed.”
PSG expressed “amazement and indignation” and added: “Paris Saint-Germain reiterates its commitment to a fundamental principle of sport, that of the integrity of competitions and therefore refutes any form of practice that could call into question that integrity.”
Their statement read: “It was with the greatest stupefaction that Paris Saint-Germain discovered this article on the L’Équipe website regarding suspicions of match-fixing concerning the Champions League game with Red Star Belgrade. The club categorically rejects any and all direct and indirect implication in relation to these suspicions and would like to point out at no moment has Paris Saint-Germain been approached by the National Financial Court in charge of the investigation. PSG remains at the disposal of the investigators and will not tolerate the slightest attack on its reputation nor that of its officials. To that end the club reserves the right to take legal action against any party that makes defamatory statements against the club and/or its officials.”
ARJEL, the body in charge of regulating online gambling in France, told L’Équipe it did not notice any suspicious bets on the game.
A Uefa spokesperson said: “Uefa never comments on potential, or the existence of, investigations into alleged match-fixing so as to not compromise the process of such investigations.
“Uefa only communicates on specific cases/matches once disciplinary proceedings have been opened and/or decisions have been taken. Decisions taken by Uefa’s disciplinary bodies related to match-fixing are listed here”