Investigation expose Global Soccer Fixing Scam

[AB.Trini]

After reading this, you have to wonder about  what was possibly sacrificed for one person's gain in our past attempts at qualifying for WC? 1984 versus USA and 90 Haiti> ummmmmm?  Ah woner what profit was gained when we lost out to Guyana?

Investigators expose global soccer fixing scam
World Cup, Champions League matches targeted by Asian ring
By THOMAS ESCRITT, REUTERS
   


A massive number of international soccer games, including World Cup qualifying matches have been targeted as potential fixed affairs. (REUTERS)

THE HAGUE - Hundreds of soccer matches have been fixed in a global betting scam run from Singapore, police said on Monday, in a blow to the image of the world's most popular sport and a multi-billion dollar industry.

About 680 suspicious matches including qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championships, and the Champions League for top European club sides, have been identified in an inquiry by European police forces, the European anti-crime agency Europol, and national prosecutors.

"This is a sad day for European football," said Rob Wainwright, director of Europol. "This is now an integrity issue for football. Those responsible for running the games should hear the warnings."

The world's most popular sport, soccer is played on every continent. The World Cup and Europe's Champions League are beamed worldwide and generate billions of dollars for national associations, clubs and broadcasters.

The matches in question were played between 2008 and 2011, the investigators said. About 380 of the suspicious matches were played in Europe, and a further 300 were identified in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Corruption linked to Asian betting syndicates and organised crime has long been seen as a threat to the game, but Monday's announcement underlines the scale of the problem.

Ralf Mutschke, Director of Security for world soccer's governing body FIFA, said sports bodies and prosecutors needed to work more closely together.

"The support of law enforcement bodies, legal investigations, and ultimately tougher sanctions are required, as currently there is low risk and high gain potential for the fixers," said Mutschke, a German former police officer.

Last year the head of an anti-corruption watchdog estimated that $1 trillion was gambled on sport each year -- or $3 billion a day -- with most coming from Asia and wagered on soccer matches.

Do you think match fixing exists throughout North America's professional sports?
Yes

[pecan]

the profits from this operation were stated to be $10.9 million and $2.7 million in bribes to players and coaches. And that was for maybe 680 matches since 2008.

These numbers seem 'low' ; $16K per game. Does not seem worthwhile to set up that type of network for only $16,000 per match.

[Football supporter]

the profits from this operation were stated to be $10.9 million and $2.7 million in bribes to players and coaches. And that was for maybe 680 matches since 2008.

These numbers seem 'low' ; $16K per game. Does not seem worthwhile to set up that type of network for only $16,000 per match.

But remember, $16 k is big money in some of these countries. That's TT$100k in T&T....you don't think a player earning TT$5k per month would be tempted?

[pecan]

the profits from this operation were stated to be $10.9 million and $2.7 million in bribes to players and coaches. And that was for maybe 680 matches since 2008.

These numbers seem 'low' ; $16K per game. Does not seem worthwhile to set up that type of network for only $16,000 per match.

But remember, $16 k is big money in some of these countries. That's TT$100k in T&T....you don't think a player earning TT$5k per month would be tempted?

the way i read this, it is the organizer making $16K per game - not the players. $2.7 million was paid to playerrs. Divide that by 680 matches = $3,970 per match.  Say that is paid between the 11 players. that is $360 per player.  Seems  small. I suspect that they eh find evidence of the rest of the payoffs as yet.  Most of  the fixes were in Europe.

[FF]

the profits from this operation were stated to be $10.9 million and $2.7 million in bribes to players and coaches. And that was for maybe 680 matches since 2008.

These numbers seem 'low' ; $16K per game. Does not seem worthwhile to set up that type of network for only $16,000 per match.

But remember, $16 k is big money in some of these countries. That's TT$100k in T&T....you don't think a player earning TT$5k per month would be tempted?

the way i read this, it is the organizer making $16K per game - not the players. $2.7 million was paid to playerrs. Divide that by 680 matches = $3,970 per match.  Say that is paid between the 11 players. that is $360 per player.  Seems  small. I suspect that they eh find evidence of the rest of the payoffs as yet.  Most of  the fixes were in Europe.

You ent have to bribe 11 players... one or two here or there... maybe just the goalkeeper... maybe just the officials.

who knows?

[Observer]

Maybe just bribe the ball boy 

[Mose]

Keep in mind that people don't only bet on who wins the game. In many places you can bet on things like the number of goals scored (in total or by one of the teams), who scored, if someone in particular scores or doesn't score, the number of penalties, etc. When you take that into consideration you only need to bribe the odd person here or there. Also, this isn't just the top level leagues like the Premiership and La Liga. It includes lower level leagues where players and officials don't make anywhere near as much.

[Observer]

Here is some insight

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/espnfcunited/id/3254?cc=5901

[giggsy11]

I thought it was going to read about the US game versus us in1990, yes.

Report: United States men's national soccer team was involved in potentially fixed game
Filed Under: CONCACAF | U.S. National Teams
POSTED: Friday, February 8, 2013, 4:04 PM
Jonathan Tannenwald

Players on El Salvador's national team are alleged to have been involved in potentially fixing the result of a game against the United States in 2010. (Mike Carlson/AP file photo)

UPDATE: I spoke Saturday night with Bob Ley and other sources about ESPN's reporting on fixed soccer games played in the United
States. The first thing I learned - and this was referred to on air but sort of glossed over - is that fixing in the two matches referred to below have been known about for a while.

There was a story last summer on ESPN Deportes' version of the investigative program E:60 about match-fixing involving El Salvador's national team. Both the U.S.-El Salvador game in 2010 and the Mexico-El Salvador game in 2011 were mentioned.

That E:60 program also referred to a CONCACAF Champions League game between Real Salt Lake and Panamanian club Arabe Unido played on August 28, 2010. Friday's Outside The Lines show did not mention it because of time constraints.
I bring this up because some people raised it to me on Twitter in the wake of the OTL story. I didn't recall hearing about it previously, but a few conversations Saturday night jogged my memory of something happening at that time. This story from the Salt Lake Tribune has some details. It's not known whether Dan Tan's syndicate tried to orchestrate this fix, or whether it was someone else.

Finally, I asked Ley whether he had heard of any other games involving the U.S. national team potentially being fixed. Both he and I heard from a lot of people on Twitter who wondered about certain games.
Most notable among them was the U.S.-Slovenia 2-2 draw at the 2010 World Cup, which ended with a controversial refereeing decision that denied the U.S. a winning goal.

But Ley, who has covered multiple World Cups and countless U.S. national team contests, said he did not know of any other fixed games.
Here is the story I wrote Friday. I've added links to video clips and an audio podcast of the OTL show.
I wrote earlier this week about the scale of match-fixing that has recently been exposed in international soccer.

On Friday, news broke that some fixing may have taken place in the United States.
ESPN's Bob Ley, host of the network's "Outside The Lines" program, reported on Friday afternoon's show that "matches played here in the United States are suspected of being tampered with, including a game won by the U.S. national team."

Ley quickly added that "there is no hint, no suggestion, that anyone on the winning side knew anything about this, and the U.S. Soccer Federation has never been approached by FIFA in these ongoing investigations."

Ley did not initially specify which U.S. game was in question. He later stated that it was a February 24, 2010 friendly game between the United States and El Salvador played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. That game ended as a 2-1 win for the United States, with Sacha Kljestan scoring the winning goal in the 92nd minute

I have asked for a comment from U.S. Soccer and I'll let you know when I hear back.
To be clear: there was no involvement by the U.S. national team or anyone on the American side of things in a potential fix. Everything that happened took place on the Salvadoran side.

"A Salvadoran player told ESPN he and some teammates received a check drawn on a Singapore bank," Ley said on air. "They were given specific, designed plays that had to unfold in to satisfy the syndicate fixing the match."
Ley then confirmed that FIFA investigated that game as potentially being fixed.

Another game involving El Salvador that FIFA investigated was a July 5, 2011 Gold Cup group stage game at Cowboys Stadium against Mexico. The final score was 5-0 in Mexico's favor, and allegedly the fix was put in for that to be the final score.

At halftime, the game was scoreless. An anonymous source told ESPN that he had heard five days before the game that it was potentially fixed. In addition, ESPN reported that on the day of the match, some squad members met with members of a SingaporSingaporean gambling cartel linked to notorious fixer Dan Tan.

With the score 4-0 in second-half stoppage time, El Salvadoran player Marvin González was whistled for making contact with Mexican star Javier "Chicharito" Hernández in the 18-yard box. Referee Enrico Wingaarde, of Suriname, signaled for a penalty kick.
In the 95th minute, Hernández scored from the spot, producing the 5-0 final score.