The footballer gets out on the pitch and makes the sign of the cross twice as supporters wait eagerly for the game to start.

His gesture may be interpreted as a sign of faith but for someone in the stands it is a signal that the offer to sell the game has been accepted.

This may seem like a leaf out of a Hollywood film but according to a former top-flight club official it is a common occurrence in Maltese football.

Speaking on condition of anonymity he paints a pitiful picture of the domestic football scene.

Brothers Adrian and Robert Farrugia (above) have been implicated in match-fixing in Italy. Photo: FacebookBrothers Adrian and Robert Farrugia (above) have been implicated in match-fixing in Italy. Photo: Facebook

Players use different signals, including doing the laces of both boots and tucking their shirt in, he says.

“The fixer in the stands has no way of knowing whether the player he has spoken to has also been approached by someone else so the signal is important to show acceptance,” he says.

We meet in the wake of the latest match-fixing scandal that has rocked Italian football and which has implicated two Maltese nationals.

His first reaction when I broach the subject: “Why am I not surprised?”

A former club committee member, the source denies any personal involvement in such dealings, but confesses to have seen it happen in front of his eyes. Today, he is no longer involved in football.

He says match fixing is not the old-style technique where team members or supporters tried to buy off the opposing team to see their side win. Online betting and its promise of lucrative returns have changed the game.

“There are four or five Maltese betting syndicates that involve some known criminals that try to fix matches and ensure good winnings from online gaming companies,” he says.

Players use different signals, including doing the laces of both boots and tucking their shirt in

Fixers also have key players on who to turn to for favours. It is a well-groomed system that unfortunately ropes in even those who disagree with it. “There are only so many times before a player stops refusing to pocket €5,000 for a handful of mistakes.”

A fixer expecting to win something in the region of €90,000 from a bet is likely to put aside €10,000 to have a result fixed, he says. And there are also popular results for match-fixers such as 2-2 and 4-1 that minimise the risk of something going astray.

But betting is not just on full-time results. With betting companies placing odds on which team scores first, half-time results and other permutations, the chances to win handsomely are higher and outside the realm of suspicion.

“Nobody would suspect anything wrong if a top team is losing 1-0 at half-time in a game it will eventually win 2-1,” the source says, adding it is not uncommon for players to be spoken to at half-time.

The system is also being exploited by some cash-starved clubs to finance their operations. The only sources of income for Maltese clubs are dwindling gate money, sponsorships and the generosity of respective presidents. None of these sources will provide enough money to finance a whole season.

“Fixing one or two matches could provide the cash to see off player wages for the rest of the season,” the source explains.

While legitimate online betting companies provide a legal cover to this corruption, there are also illegal betting avenues, some of which trace their roots to south east Asia.

The malaise, as the source puts it, transcends all divisions of Maltese football. How widespread it is? “Today I am convinced that 90 per cent of games are arranged,” he says.

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