http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-New...EFA_Cup_Matches

Uefa Probes Champions League Match-Fixing

9:00pm UK, Friday September 25, 2009

European football's governing body Uefa is investigating 40 cases of suspected match-fixing involving Champions League and Uefa Cup games.

Uefa is investigating dozens of games

Head of disciplinary services Peter Limacher said the alleged cases involved early qualifying matches of clubs "mainly from eastern Europe".

Of the 40 matches where Uefa has been alerted to suspicious betting patterns, 15 took place in the last two years, Mr Limacher said.

The Uefa official also said most of the clubs being investigated sought to make a profit from betting because they knew they would be eliminated.

Mr Limacher said the governing body is building a network of informers across Europe to clamp down on match-fixing.

He added: "Right now it's mainly eastern Europe clubs being investigated.

"They know they are not going to be involved later in the tournament and they are going out, so decide, 'Let's make a profit'.

"In the cases we have seen, it's really the deliberate planned fix of the games, the whole games. First the result at half-time then after 90 minutes.

"It might take some time (to convict) but in cases where we can work together with the police that might be possible."

Uefa announced last month that three Macedonian clubs were being investigated after banning the country's former champion FK Pobeda from European competitions for eight years.

One of the fixtures under suspicion is FK Milano's 12-2 aggregate loss in July against Croatia's Slaven Koprivnika in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, the new format for the Uefa Cup.

Allegedly a UEFA spokesman was heard to comment “ We never sanctioned these results . We can only allow games we have fixed and have money on to stand as a result . It is incredible someone would try and muscel in on our cartel , they will be swimming with the fishes very soon “

little bit ironic

*cough* Ovrebo *cough cough*

Story being reported on the BBC now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8275957.stm

But is anyone really suprised at this? Come on. Anybody?

I'm not that's for sure. If anything I'm slightly worried.

Platini and Galliard are probably, as I type this, working out how Chelsea can be implicated in this.

Expect us to be fined tomorrow.

................ and a further ban for Drogba!

They'll aslo extend Kakuta's ban.

We did it. Lets just come out now, say we're guilty for whatever anyone in Europe has done. It'll just save some time.

We did it. Lets just come out now, say we're guilty for whatever anyone in Europe has done. It'll just save some time.

I don't think we should take the blame for Hitler

Its Said The Teams Involved Will Be Specially Rewarded By Uefa's Board!

Edited September 26, 200916 yr by BlueNose

Is it too late to blame Kenyon?

Been watching this thread with interest since the story broke on Friday. I really thought, Wigan result aside, this would be the"Christ this is big news, let's discuss it" topic of the whole forum. But there has been hardly any interest at all. As it currently stands, a mere 225 viewings of the thread and a meagre 8 replies.

I wonder if other CL contending team's forums have had such a resigned response to this story? I know we have been at the arse-end of many decisions UEFA have made over recent years. But still.

This has led me to make a few assumptions that those who consistently defend UEFA, and european competition as a whole, may wish to club together an argument and refute.

I think the general apathy, lack of interest, call it what you will indicates that we all know that this competition is corrupt and many on here subconciously or willingly accept it. "Yeah, 40 odd games being investigated. So what"? In fact I feel the humorous replies above indicate that we not only believe this happens, we are so conditioned to this kind of thinking we are even able to laugh about it.

That's amazing when you really consider it. And quite possibly says more about us than it does about UEFA and it's supposed corruption investigation.

For me personally, it's just another nail in the coffin of my rapidly dwindling interest in the UEFA Champion's League.

Edited September 27, 200916 yr by just

I think the lack of interest / response may well be due to the fact people believe it will come to nothing.

I think the lack of interest / response may well be due to the fact people believe it will come to nothing.

That reply in itself says everything Loz.

Is it a case of;

"Oh, of course we know UEFA will not dig too hard on this. They don't want to find anything messy that will comprise the CL's standing and de-rail their gravy train"

Pretty much. Just imagine if they find evidnece of match fixing in say 10 or 15 of those games being investigated. They would be in turmoil in temrs of righting the wrongs ut also the massive hit to the credibility of the tournament, the game itself and to UEFA.

Pretty much. Just imagine if they find evidnece of match fixing in say 10 or 15 of those games being investigated. They would be in turmoil in temrs of righting the wrongs ut also the massive hit to the credibility of the tournament, the game itself and to UEFA.

You're thinking my thoughts Loz.

In which case, if proved correct, wouldn't it be a lose-lose situation?

Cover up, protect the status quo, and let the millions continue to roll in.

Or.

Go public, disclose the scale of the corruption and destroy the faith in the competition.

I'd rather the latter the option. For two reasons. Mainly because, morally, UEFA would be doing the right thing, despite the damage it would do to their flagship competition. And secondly, it would finally give them some long overdue credibility as a governing body.

Agreed Just, it would be immense if they were to blow the lid off this whole ordeal, but I think that they would open up a whole paragraph in their history that they would rather avoid. If they were to show corruption in the past, then teams would be screaming that they shouldn't have been knocked out by someone that defeated them who was there on poor merit.

I think what will happen is they will realize that they are under the microscope and that they will try and make sure that any further corruption is dealt with. They will roll forward with this attitude, and under no circumstance will they do anything about what has already happened. I just hope that this, just maybe, will get them to turn the competition into what we all know it could be

Scott

Is it too late to blame Kenyon?

No. It's never too late. I blame him for almost any thing that goes wrong in my life

Whilst there's a gravy train I don't expect them to do anything at all

Agreed Just, it would be immense if they were to blow the lid off this whole ordeal, but I think that they would open up a whole paragraph in their history that they would rather avoid. If they were to show corruption in the past, then teams would be screaming that they shouldn't have been knocked out by someone that defeated them who was there on poor merit.

I think what will happen is they will realize that they are under the microscope and that they will try and make sure that any further corruption is dealt with. They will roll forward with this attitude, and under no circumstance will they do anything about what has already happened. I just hope that this, just maybe, will get them to turn the competition into what we all know it could be

Scott

I agree with what you're saying Scott, I just can't get over my gut feeling that no matter what the outcome of the investigation, nothing will be done about it. People are quick at pointing fingers, but not so quick at pointing those fingers at themselves.

Here's to hoping something positive comes from the whole thing.

Even if it was proven there would be one small fall-guy that none of us have ever heard of that gets punished but UEFA will carry on as it always has done.

I really want to win the CL but I'd almost be equally happy if as someone suggested last season we get to the semi's and just sit down during the game by way of protest. This is one cup that for me has no magic about it.

I think the lack of interest / response may well be due to the fact people believe it will come to nothing.

Personally, I have that kind of feeling, as well as simply not caring about anything UEFA or FIFA do anymore. I am so sick of these bar stewards "governing" the world's biggest sport that it makes my blood boil to think such incompotent, corrupt pieces of slime count their millions as they selective screw our club over.

If I actually believed UEFA were on the level I might have some interest in this topic, but as it stands I know they are punishing these minnows only because they can. But I know if the names of the clubs were AC Milan, Barcelona and Liverpool, this would be buried just like all the other allegations

I really want to win the CL but I'd almost be equally happy if as someone suggested last season we get to the semi's and just sit down during the game by way of protest. This is one cup that for me has no magic about it.

I dismissed that idea as being pretty silly at first, but I think I have honestly gotten to that point. All I care about for the CL is the 90 minutes we are out there on the field every few weeks.

I dismissed that idea as being pretty silly at first, but I think I have honestly gotten to that point. All I care about for the CL is the 90 minutes we are out there on the field every few weeks.

I've given up on it to be honest, last season was the last straw. Someone asked me yeseterday who we had in the CL this week and I shrugged my shoulders, they seemd a bit bemused by my reaction but I said I honestly didn't know, and didn't really care. I just about watched the Porto game last time round, the qualifying games for the CL hardly draw a full house anymore, and that includes the mighty Liverpool and their great supporters in the last round of games!

It's a shame, but I think the whole sorry affair that is UEFA is rotten to the core, why would their competitions be anything different?