The Brazilian Football Federation (CBF), two former referees and a businessman were fined €78.5m by the Sao Paulo State Court yesterday for their roles in a 2005 match-fixing scandal.

The federation, former referee Edilson Pereira de Carvalho and businessman Nagib Fayad were found guilty of “moral prejudice inflicted on supporters” after exerting an undue influence on 11 league matches and were fined €69.7m by the court.

They were also found guilty along with another former referee Paulo Jose Danelon of colluding together and ordered to pay €8.8m.

Carvalho had confessed to having received between €4,350-€6,500 per match from a group of Sao Paulo businessmen to influence the outcome of games and to favour “internet sports betting sites”.

The CBF were liable, according to presiding judge Jose Paulo Camargo Magano, for appointing biased referees and for not honouring their obligation to guarantee the rules that assure a fair championship.

The federation is to appeal the judgement.

Carvalho and Magano have been sacked subsequent to the revelations and the 11 matches results annulled, which has belatedly led to Corinthians being named champions.

The ruling comes on the day that IOC chief Jacques Rogge warned of the growing dangers of illegal internet betting.

In a joint declaration with the IOC, sports officals and betting company associations pledged to deepen co-operation to fight “all forms of cheating in sport” and set up a working group on illicit betting.