Match fixing in association football

The issue of match fixing in association football has been described, in 2013, by Chris Eaton, the former Head of Security of FIFA (the sport's world governing body), as a "crisis", while UEFA's president Michel Platini has said that if it continues, "football is dead."Zhang Jilong, president of the Asian Football Confederation, has stated that it is a "pandemic." The issue also affects a number of other sports across the world.

In May 2011, world governing body FIFA announced an anti-match fixing plan, and in September 2012 FIFA President Sepp Blatter warned that match-fixing endangered "the integrity of the game." In September 2014 the Council of Europe also announced they would tackle the problem.

A number of clubs in countries across the world have been subject to match fixing, including Australia, China, and Spain. The South African national team has also been investigated.

In the 18 months prior to February 2013, Europol investigated 680 matches in 30 countries. In November 2013, 11 men were charged in Estonia with fixing 17 matches.

The problem is often attributed to criminal gangs based in Asia, who generate "hundreds of billions of euros per year."

Players who have publicly rejected bribes have been praised.

Six people, including three current players and ex-player Delroy Facey, were arrested in November 2013 on suspicion of match fixing. Two Singaporean men were later charged, while two non-league footballers for Whitehawk were also charged in December 2013. As a result of this investigation, three people were jailed in June 2014.

Later that month, professional footballer Sam Sodje was investigated after he was filmed by an undercover journalist claiming to have fixed matches; a total of six people were arrested, including active player DJ Campbell. Campbell was later cleared of all allegations.Cristian Montaño was also named as one of those arrested, and he was later sacked by club Oldham Athletic. Montaño later denied the accusations. In March 2014 the six players were re-arrested, alongside seven new players, all based in North-West England. The seven new players arrested were later named as John Welsh, Keith Keane, Bailey Wright, David Buchanan, Ben Davies and Graham Cummins (who all play for Preston North End), and Stephen Dawson (who plays for Barnsley); all seven stated they were innocent. The men were late released from bail. In January 2015 all 13 players were released without charge.

...
Wikipedia