Media Report Early Warning System 04/2016 – 2016-03-15 Media Report – Early Warning System 1: Soccer - Olympiacos in suspicious Europa League match - Suspicious own goal in La Liga sparks claims of match-fixing - Goa FA sends notice to Saligao Sporting - New betting scandal in European football? - Rajagobal denies Sarawak players fix matches - League of Ireland players are being targeted by match-fixers - Leave my son out of match-fixing talk! - Lewis Smith suspended after breaching FA betting rules - Romanian manager suspended for betting - Harrogate Town player faces FA betting rap - FIFA extends sanctions imposed on 23 players and officials in Italy - Zimbabwe suspend board member over attempt to fix match - KFA willing to consider players in 1994 match-fixing case to improve football - Conte match-fixing trial date set - Match-fixing reported in Soana FC camp - Fiji FA establishes ethics committee - CONCACAF has new referee chief - Paulista calls in Sportradar - Three SAFA officials banned by FIFA - Five Vietnamese footballers sentenced for match-fixing - Kargbo says his career is murdered 2: Other sports - Tennis: TIU and Pinnacle sports release joint statement - Tennis: No match-fixing at Davis Cup tie - Cricket: PCB picks two stars as role models - AFL: Player using phone mid-match - Cricket: CSA question player - Tennis: Banned match-fixer claims ATP ruined his life - Cricket: Amir video used to prevent match-fixing - Cricket: International team under corruption investigation - Tennis: British Betting Company reports good business at Australian Open - Basketball: Company linked to Shane Heal in match-fixing probe - Baseball: Yomiuri Giants pitcher admits to gambling on baseball games - Tennis: Reappointed Kermode pledges to protect tennis’s integrity - Tennis: Italian Ceccinato faces tennis match-fixing probe Jonas Pfändler - Early Warning System GmbH - Badenerstrasse 141 - CH-8004 Zürich - T +41 44 388 81 66 - [email protected] - www.fifa-ews.com 2 3: Betting industry - Australian Wagering Council says Aussie sports vulnerable to fixing - Foreign gambling companies eye Brazilian market - DSWV welcomes anti-match-fixing bill in Germany - Canadian region supports single-sport betting at casinos - Virginia legalizes daily fantasy sports - Kenyan betting firm boosts profile through football deals 4: Articles recommended reading entirely Podcast and article about high speed data / gambling sportsmen etc.: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/real-time-data-could-corrupt-big-time-sports/ Frontline: The Fantasy Sports Gamble (Documentary film): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdspviDAV7E TV Film and Documentary about match-fixing (in German): http://www.daserste.de/unterhaltung/film/themenabend-illegale-sportwetten/index.html Jonas Pfändler - Early Warning System GmbH - Badenerstrasse 141 - CH-8004 Zürich - T +41 44 388 81 66 - [email protected] - www.fifa-ews.com 3 1: Soccer Olympiacos in suspicious Europa League match: - The Northern Irish referee Arnold Hunter has been drawn in to the match-fixing scandal surrounding Olympiacos over his performance in Anderlecht’s 2:1 Europa League win over the Greek champion. Hunter gave a penalty to Olympiacos even though the Anderlecht center-half had very clearly controlled the ball with his knee and his head. The highlights also made clear two separate incidents that involved potential red-card offences by Olympiacos players for which Hunter only issued yellow cards.1 1Inside World Football, 2016-03-01 http://www.insideworldfootball.com/world-football/europe/18958-olympiacos-in-suspicious-europa-league-win-as-rtl-ask-the-marinakis- question Suspicious own goal in La Liga sparks claims of match-fixing: - Carlos Kameni secured his place in footballing folklore and DVD howler collections forevermore. With his current side Malaga 1:0 up against Valencia, Carlos decided to slap one in his own net. This sparked a whole rash of wild accusations on twitter.1 - Goal can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FkXO3CFH8U 1Dream Team FC, 2016-03-03 https://www.dreamteamfc.com/c/suspicious-own-goal-in-la-liga-sparks-claims-of-match-fixing/ Goa FA sends notice to Saligao Sporting: - Saligao defeated Vagator PYSC 3:2 in what was being labelled by many as match-fixing as the win enabled the Saligao Club to avoid relegation from the GFA second division league. Vagator Parish Youth Sports Club (PYSC) vehemently denied all charges of match-fixing. Vagator with thirteen points had already qualified for the next round while Saligao needed to win at all cost [the many reasons why the match could have been fixed are listed in the link below].1 1The Navhind Times, 2016-03-03 http://www.navhindtimes.in/gfa-sends-notice-to-saligao-sporting-relegation-appears-certain/ New betting scandal in European football? - According to the WDR’s investigations, there have been irregular betting movements in connection with two football matches in Europe’s top leagues. The suspicious bets were placed in betting shops in Southern Germany and were placed on a Belgian 1st Division and the Dutch 1st Division match. In the Belgian match between Ostend and Waasland-Beveren (3:3), suspicious bets were placed predicting that at least three goals would be scored. In the match in the Dutch 1st Division, Nijmegen vs. Willem II (1:0), suspicious bets were placed on a home win for Nijmegen. Overall the bookmaker paid out a five-figure sum.1. Jonas Pfändler - Early Warning System GmbH - Badenerstrasse 141 - CH-8004 Zürich - T +41 44 388 81 66 - [email protected] - www.fifa-ews.com 4 - Last week OH Leuven, another Belgian top-flight club, asked UEFA to investigate if there was potential match manipulation linked to gambling patterns in recent matches. A Belgian magazine revealed that OHL captain Romain Reynaud and goalkeeper Rudy Riou were implicated in betting on their own matches.2 1PR Newswire, 2016-03-03 http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ardwdr-documentary-new-betting-scandal-in-european-football-570814611.html 2Inside World Football, 2016-03-03 http://www.insideworldfootball.com/world-football/europe/18977-match-fixing-suspicions-grow-in-belgium-as-second-game-is-identified Rajagobal denies Sarawak players fix matches: - Sarawak head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal has denied the allegation that the players have fixed matches. Rajagobal: “I believe that all the players have given their 100 percent commitment in training and during matches.” The report stated that the claim was made by a Sarawak fan on Facebook, and has gone viral since last week.1 1Goal, 2016-03-07 http://www.goal.com/en-my/news/3896/malaysia/2016/03/05/21017442/rajagobal-denies-sarawak-players-fix-matches League of Ireland players are being targeted by match-fixers: - Four League of Ireland players have contacted the Player’s Football Association of Ireland in the past year claiming they have been approached online by people claiming to be able to fix matches. PFAI’s General Secretary said the FAI’s deal with TrackChamp has opened up League of Ireland players to becoming vulnerable to match-fixers. The deal sees all Premier Division matches streamed online on specific betting websites.1 1Newstalk, 2016-03-07 https://www.newstalk.com/League-of-Ireland-players-are-being-targeted-by-match-fixers-ahead-of-the-new-season Leave my son out of match-fixing talk! - The father of UEFA’s new interim general secretary Theodore Theodoridis, a top official at Greek champions Olympiakos, has called on media to leave his son out of match-fixing talks concerning the club.1 1Tenplay, 2016-03-07 http://tenplay.com.au/news/2016/03/05/leave-my-son-out-of-match-fixing-talk--father-of-new-uefa-general-secretary Jonas Pfändler - Early Warning System GmbH - Badenerstrasse 141 - CH-8004 Zürich - T +41 44 388 81 66 - [email protected] - www.fifa-ews.com 5 Lewis Smith suspended after breaching FA betting rules: - Lewis Smith has been suspended from all football related activity until 1st August 2017 with immediate effect after breaching The FA’s Betting Rules. The East Thurrock United player was also fined £22’865 and warned as to his future conduct. The 28 bets over which he was charged relate to football matches played between 2012 and 2013.1 1The FA, 2016-03-07 http://www.thefa.com/news/governance/2016/mar/lewis-smith-east-thurrock-united-suspended-betting-rules Romanian manager suspended for betting: - The current leader of Romania’s top football league, Astra Giurgiu, has lost its coach just before the playoffs. Marius Sumudica has been suspended from all football-related activities for the next six months for betting on football matches. The Romanian Football Federation also fined him EUR 22’400. Sumudica was accused of betting on football matches in the local first league as well as on other sports.1 1Romanian Insider, 2016-03-07 http://www.romania-insider.com/romanian-football-league-leaders-manager-suspended-for-betting/166055/ Harrogate Town player faces FA betting rap: - Harrogate Town midfielder Warren Burrell is facing a rap from the FA after posting a photo of his betting slip. Burrell posted a snapshot of a football accumulator which would have returned more than £600 from a £30 stake had Sheffield Wednesday beaten Rotherham United. Semi- professional and professional footballers playing within the top eight tiers of the game are banned from betting on football matches from anywhere in the world.1 1Harrogate Advertiser, 2016-03-08 http://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/sport/football/exclusive-harrogate-town-player-faces-fa-betting-rap-after-tweeting-accumulator-photo- 1-7779371 FIFA extends sanctions imposed on 23 players and officials in Italy: - FIFA today confirmed the worldwide extension of sanctions imposed on several officials and players by the Italian Football Association’s Sport-Justice Bodies and the Collegio di Garanzia dello Sport of the Italian National Olympic Committee relating to incidents of match manipulation and illegal betting that took place between 2014 and 2015 in different Italian football competitions.