Investigation Finds Suspected Fixing in 680 Soccer Matches

[Gatorious]

Police Call Match-Fixing Widespread in Soccer

By SAM BORDEN
Published: February 4, 2013
Source: New York Times

THE HAGUE — Criminal organizations have infiltrated the highest levels of European and international soccer, threatening the very integrity of the sport, global law enforcement officials said on Monday as they unveiled the results of a 19-month investigation that showed hundreds of people involved in match-fixing.

At least 425 people from more than 15 countries — including club and match officials, current and former players — are suspected of conspiring to fix hundreds of matches on behalf of Asian criminal syndicates which made millions of dollars in profits by betting on the results, they said.

Those matches included qualifying games for both the World Cup and European Cup, and two Champions League matches, including one in England.

“This is a sad day for European football, and more evidence of the corrupting influence of organized crime,” said Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, which helped to coordinate the investigation among European Union member states, Interpol and non-European nations.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/sport ... html?_r=1&

[FunnGun]

I tried to tell everyone that soccer was the devils sport.

[rogdochar]

Hogwash, nobody can fix soccer ... or those fans.

[biggator6]

...and it still couldn't make the sport interesting to an American audience.

[guardian]

...and it still couldn't make the sport interesting to an American audience.

There is a bigger audience than you might imagine, judging by the number of soccer fields and travel teams I see in my little neck of the woods.

[I Have No Friends :(]

Soccer is for the little wuss boys whose mommies wouldn't let them play real sports.

[rogdochar]

C'mon "No-Friends", I saw Tim Conway and Harvey Korman in that bit.