[Archived] Match fixing scandal

[alexanders]

Yesterday one game was postponed in Norway because of rumours about match fixing. Two other games are also under investigation.

This is a little snippet of the ongoing trial in Bochum against one of the most famous match fixers Marijo Cvrtak - former football agent. Quite an interesting read and it would be naive to not think it happens in most leagues.

The ease with which this criminal entrepreneur could infiltrate Belgian football circles is a matter for

concern, all the more so as his action was copied by another fraudulent investor several years later.

Revealed during the investigation for the Bochum trial, an instance of corruption in the club UR

Namur - at that time playing in Belgium.’s Second Division - reveals the fragility of the world of

football in the face of Mafia intrigues.

The chairman of UR Namur, Jean-Claude Baudart, was seeking a rescuer/buyer for the club, which

was in serious financial difficulty, but all his efforts failed. He then turned to a Croatian investor living

in Germany, Marijo Cvrtak. On 22 January 2009, Chairman Baudard and Marijo Cvrtak concluded an

agreement whereby the Croatian would pay €€100,000 followed by two tranches of €€50,000 over the

space of four months. Cvrtak also agreed to take over the club.’s debts, amounting to €€700,000, in

exchange for a place on the Club Board, where he was introduced as the club.’s saviour. In order to

give credibility to his arrival, Cvrtak invented a false Slovakian sports management company, BTC

Sport Management. Now solidly established within the club.’s management, Cvrtak brought seven

players into the club, whose salaries he lent and whom he knew to be corruptible. Two of these players

went on to play a major part in rigging matches: Serb Nemanja Cvetkovic and Bosnian Dragan Bubic.

The latter was hired to .“buy.” other teammates. In any event, his transfer did not really comply with the

criteria for a sportsman because the club.’s medical team judged him to be 29 kilos too heavy to be

competitive! Six players were eventually involved, their bonuses generally amounting to €€2,000 for

each rigged match. During this time, Cvrtak and his associates took full advantage of the matchrigging,

pocketing €€225,000 from the betting market. The Namur club has since been relegated to

Division Three and Cvrtak was sentenced to five years in prison. His assets in a bank in Zagreb were

frozen and the amount (€€3,606,95554) testifies to the resources of today.’s transnational criminal

organisations.

The two examples above perfectly illustrate the interest that criminal organisations may have in

moving into the management of a sports club, and the ease with which they implement their strategy.

In some countries with more powerful criminal networks than others, sporting circles are specifically

targeted by the Mafia. Mafioso not only own clubs directly, but also have secret links with club

chairmen and certain underworld circles.

[DE.]

If there was any match you could claim was fixed in England over the past season I think you'd have to say the Rovers Vs Spurs match where we had zero shots and zero ambition.

[AllRoverAsia]

Yesterday one game was postponed in Norway because of rumours about match fixing. Two other games are also under investigation.

This is a little snippet of the ongoing trial in Bochum against one of the most famous match fixers Marijo Cvrtak - former football agent. Quite an interesting read and it would be naive to not think it happens in most leagues.

Thanks and a very intersting read. Looking at the timeframe we've got about 1 year before the 'Chickens' come home to roost.

[alexanders]

Interesting that they relied upon "unfit" players, went 30 matches without winning and the losses were heavy with 4-5 goals.

[sw0808]

If there was any match you could claim was fixed in England over the past season I think you'd have to say the Rovers Vs Spurs match where we had zero shots and zero ambition.

Correct! and I will always wonder what Dunny was winking about when he came off - couldnt have been his brilliant contribution - unless he was complicit in a gambling sting!! - just a thought!

[alexanders]

Dont think we should namedrop and focus to much on Rovers. This is about matchfixing in general.

Imagine the odds on Cardiff in the League cup. However we did forfeit.

[sw0808]

Dont think we should namedrop and focus to much on Rovers. This is about matchfixing in general.

Imagine the odds on Cardiff in the League cup. However we did forfeit.

No - I do think we should focus on "rovers" - is there any other possible "reason" to explain events over the last couple of years!!

I cant think of one!

[alexanders]

It would be easy for said criminals to pay the involved by giving them a raise in their salary or does this kind of action have to happen under the table ?

[sw0808]

It would be easy for said criminals to pay the involved by giving them a raise in their salary or does this kind of action have to happen under the table ?

A two year contract at say £25k per week - would suffice perhaps!

Knowledge of such miss-deeds could keep someone in a job for a long time perhaps? Could even make them bullet proof?

[Miker]

The thing is that most of these clubs who find themselves in this sort of situation get taken over by dodgy, unknown investors who are capable of engineering such scams.

In our case, we were taken over by a large, family-owned company with a very good reputation. Even extending this to the conspiracy theories surrounding SEM/Kentaro, even they as a sports agency have a big reputation in the football world and are not unknowns.

So I have seen a lot of examples of dodgy investors ruining football clubs, but does anyone have an example of a large family-owned corporation such as Venky's being involved in something like this? I'm not ruling out Venky's being the first such company, but find it extremely unlikely and illogical.

[alexanders]

A lot of this activity tend to happen from Asia.

[Kelbo]

A lot of this activity tend to happen from Asia.

I have posted this previously. in my opinion, the whole of Asia (especially India and Pakistan) have had many instances of match fixing and betting scams, even South Africa with Hansie Cronje their Cricket Captain involved.

My personal opinion is that somewhere within our club, there are criminal activities and most probably linked to betting in some way or form, indeed, the Raos are from India and its quite possible that there could be some information out there, maybe even 'form' regarding fixing/betting scams, would be interesting to know!!

[PAFELL]

I have posted this previously. in my opinion, the whole of Asia (especially India and Pakistan) have had many instances of match fixing and betting scams, even South Africa with Hansie Cronje their Cricket Captain involved.

My personal opinion is that somewhere within our club, there are criminal activities and most probably linked to betting in some way or form, indeed, the Raos are from India and its quite possible that there could be some information out there, maybe even 'form' regarding fixing/betting scams, would be interesting to know!!

Do you have evidence for this claim?

[Kelbo]

Do you have evidence for this claim?

Of course there is evidence regarding India and Pakistan with regard to betting scams and match fixing, this has been well documented, as for evidence of things within Rovers, I stated it was in my personal opinion, I base this on a few factors, The number of consecutive games we conceded at least two goals, the game v Spurs with no attempts on goal and the number of games without a win!!

[PAFELL]

Of course there is evidence regarding India and Pakistan with regard to betting scams and match fixing, this has been well documented, as for evidence of things within Rovers, I stated it was in my personal opinion, I base this on a few factors, The number of consecutive games we conceded at least two goals, the game v Spurs with no attempts on goal and the number of games without a win!!

Yes I realise it was your personal opinion. I wasn't having a dig, just curious. I must admit there were many unexplained situations last season. But most I put down to pathetic owners and manager.

[purplegrover]

Its tempting to think that there might be some big conspiracy going on at Rovers involving the current management at whatever level and overseas betting. It certainly might help to "explain the inexplicable" with regard to decisions made (or not made) since the Venkys took over.

The Spurs match is a good example of one which could well be described as possibly the worst performance ever made by a team in a premier league match.

But... I'm just not getting how you can 'fix' a game without the majority of the on-field players being in on it. Clearly, that was the case in the Belgian example and was able to be done with the influx of the crooks 'mates' into the team. But I just can't make that leap of faith to think that players at PL level, particularly long standing like Robbo, Pederson, Dunny etc. (or - Lowe with international aspirations if not prospects) would ever be in on (or condone) such a thing.

I prefer to think that we lost the Spurs match (and pretty much all of our 'winnable' games) because we had the worst manager in PL history, tactically clueless and useless, and the players were completely demoralised and rudderless as a result.

[Athlete]

Yes I realise it was your personal opinion. I wasn't having a dig, just curious. I must admit there were many unexplained situations last season. But most I put down to pathetic owners and manager.

why did London bookies smell a rat...no bookings in a game is very rare the price for 2 cards and under varies between evens to just under 2/1 .

One of the sky pundits picked up on Rovers showing no fight ie : in a relegation battle you at least get one player booked for flying in with a rash challenge when your fighting to stay up , but to show no fight and have no shots on or off target is very bizarre..........

well there was unrest in the camp + kean did take Yakubu off when we were one down....

[Jock]

why did London bookies smell a rat...no bookings in a game is very rare the price for 2 cards and under varies between evens to just under 2/1 .

One of the sky pundits picked up on Rovers showing no fight ie : in a relegation battle you at least get one player booked for flying in with a rash challenge when your fighting to stay up , but to show no fight and have no shots on or off target is very bizarre..........

well there was unrest in the camp + kean did take Yakubu off when we were one down....

Bookies were looking into our match with Spurs. It got very close to being investigated. Whatever people say about certain people at the club they are not fools. Theyre not stupid and this is our biggest problem. They have very good legal people working for them behind the scenes. The only way they can be hurt is by a full boycott.