Raids Expose Soccer Fixing Across Europe

By ROB HUGHES and ERIC PFANNER
NYT

BOCHUM, Germany — European law-enforcement officials said Friday that they had arrested the leaders of a far-reaching gambling cartel that is thought to have conspired to influence the outcome of 200 soccer games in nine countries across the continent.

Announcing that 17 people had been arrested — 15 in Germany and 2 in Switzerland — prosecutors said they might have uncovered only the tip of a scandal in which gamblers are accused of bribing players, officials and trainers. The police said they seized more than a million euros (about $1.48 million) in cash and other assets after more than 50 raids Thursday in Germany, Britain, Switzerland and Austria.

Among the games under suspicion are three in the Champions League, the prestigious tournament for Europe’s best teams.

“Without question, this is the biggest betting scandal in the history of European soccer,” said Peter Limacher, the head of discipline for European soccer’s governing body.

(Original here.)