[attach id=238818 size="medium"]No matches currently being investigated by Europol on match-fixing were played in France.[/attach]
Europol’s investigation into a global soccer match-fixing scandal has not revealed any suspicious games in French competitions, the European anti-crime agency said.
The French league (LFP) yesterday released Europol’s written response to LFP president Frederic Thiriez, who had asked if any of the roughly 680 suspicious games identified by the European inquiry had taken place in France.
“I am pleased to tell you that France is not one of the host countries of matches suspected to have been fixed,” Michael Rauschenbach, head of Serious and Organised Crime at Europol, said in his letter published on the League website (www.lfp.fr).
“I am also happy to reassure you that should intelligence of this nature indicate suspicions of match-fixing in France in the future, then Europol will seek to engage with the relevant law enforcement authorities in France as a matter of urgency.”
A joint inquiry by Europol and national prosecutors have identified several hundred suspicious soccer matches, including qualifying games for the World Cup and the European Championship, and for Europe’s Champions League.
Singapore is believed to be the source of the global betting scam, according to the European authorities.
FIFA sanctions extended
Meanwhile, FIFA has announced a worldwide extension on bans issued to 74 players and officials found guilty of involvement in match-fixing.
The disciplinary committee of football’s world governing body applied the sanction to 70 individuals embroiled in match-fixing in Italy and a further four from South Korea.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Korean Football Association (KFA) were responsible for the initial enforcement of the suspensions at a national level, with FIFA’s announcement yesterdayt ensuring that all active bans now are now enforceable globally.
FIFA confirmed they had been presented with evidence from four investigations by the FIGC pertaining to “match fixing, illegal betting or corrupt organisation (association to commit illicit acts)”.
They added that 11 of the individuals in question were subject to life bans.
The four individuals found guilty of match-fixing by the KFA were sanctioned with life bans during separate hearings in 2011 and 2012 before the evidence was put before FIFA for consideration.