A special investigation by Europol has revealed that 680 football games, including two Champions League matches and several qualifiers for the European Championship and World Cup, may have been rigged by criminals.
It is estimated that more than 400 referees, players and officials may have been involved in match-fixing masterminded by an Asian betting syndicate, which operated in 30 countries.
“Corruption with bookmakers fixtures in the background is a totally new sport crime stemming from the technological revolution that allows putting bets on sporting events happening on the other hemisphere,” concludes the daily.
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