Champions League tie in England among 380 suspicious games in match-fixing investigation
Europol chief says the investigation uncovered 'match fixing activity on a scale we have not seen before'
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Your support makes all the difference.A Champions League tie played in England is among 380 suspicious matches in Europe uncovered in a wide-ranging match-fixing investigation.
The European police agency, Europol, says matches they believe were fixed include Word Cup and European Championship qualifiers, two Champions League games and "several top football matches in European leagues".
425 match officials, club officials, players and criminals are suspected of being involved, while a further 300 games covering Africa, Asia and south and central America are under suspicion.
Rob Wainwright, director of Europol, said today that the investigation uncovered "match fixing activity on a scale we have not seen before."
The specific match in England they believe was corrupt has not been revealed, although took place in the last four years.
Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea have all featured in the competition in recent years. A full list of matches played since 2008/09 can be seen below.
Wainwright revealed the scale of the corruption stating in Germany alone £13.8m was wagered on matches in the country with payments of £1.73m believed to have paid to those involved.
The largest payment paid to an individual was £121,000 according to investigators.
Europol's findings indicate match-fixing has taken place in 15 countries and 50 people have so far been arrested, although they fear this could be just the "tip of iceberg".
Europol believes a crime syndicate based in Asia was liaising with criminal networks throughout Europe. German police described a global network involving couriers ferrying bribes of up to £86,000 per match around the world, paying off players and referees.
Wainwright said: "This is the work of a suspected organised crime syndicate based in Asia and operated with criminal networks around Europe.
"It is clear to us this is the biggest-ever investigation into suspected match-fixing in Europe. It has yielded major results which we think have uncovered a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe.
"We have uncovered an extensive criminal network."
Europol gave the details on Monday at a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands, on what they described as "a sad day for European football".
Wainwright would not reveal the identity of the Champions League match staged in the UK under suspicion due to "ongoing judicial proceedings" - he did confirm it had taken place in the last three to four years - and admitted it was not a country under particular scrutiny.
He added: "The focus has been on other countries, not the United Kingdom. However we were surprised by the scale generally of the criminal enterprise and just how widespread it was.
"It would be naive and complacent of those in the UK to think such a criminal conspiracy does not involve the English game and all the football in Europe."
A Uefa spokesman confirmed they would co-operate with the investigation.
In a statement, the governing body of European football said: "Uefa is aware of the statements made by Europol regarding the alleged match-fixing that has taken place in various football competitions and expects to receive further information in the coming days.
"As part of the fight against the manipulation of matches, Uefa is already co-operating with the authorities on these serious matters as part of its zero-tolerance policy towards match-fixing in our sport.
"Once the details of these investigations are in Uefa's hands, then they will be reviewed by the appropriate disciplinary bodies in order that the necessary measures are taken."
Champions League games in England since 09/09
Arsenal
2008/2009
27 Aug 2008 – Arsenal 4-0 FC Twente
30 Sep 2008 – Arsenal 4-0 Porto
5 Nov 2008 – Arsenal 0-0 Fenerbahce
25 Nov 2008 – Arsenal 1-0 Dynamo Kiev
24 Feb 2009 – Arsenal 1-0 Roma
15 April 2009 – Arsenal 3-0 Villarreal
5 May 2009 – Arsenal 1-3 Man Utd
2009/2010
26 August 2009 – Arsenal 3-1 Celtic
29 September 2009 – Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
4 November 2009 – Arsenal 4-1 AZ Alkmaar
24 November 2009 – Arsenal 2-0 Standard Liege
9 March 2010 – Arsenal 5-0 Porto
31 March 2010 – Arsenal 2-2 Barcelona
2010/2011
15 September 2010 – Arsenal 6-0 Braga
19 October 2010 – Arsenal 5-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
8 December 2010 – Arsenal 3-1 Partizan
16 February 2011 – Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona
2011/2012
16 August 2011 – Arsenal 1-0 Udinese
28 September 2011 – Arsenal 2-1 Olympiacos
1 November 2011 – Arsenal 0-0 Marseille
23 November 2011 – Arsenal 2-1 Dortmund
6 March 2012 – Arsenal 3-0 Milan
2012/2013
3 October 2012 – Arsenal 3-1 Olympiacos
24 October 2012 – Arsenal 0-2 Schalke
21 November 2012 – Arsenal 2-0 Montpellier
Manchester United
2008/2009
17 September 2008 – Man United 0-0 Villarreal
21 October 2008 – Man United 3-0 Celtic
10 December 2008 – Man United 2-2 AaB
11 March 2009 – Man United 2-0 Inter Milan
7 April 2009 – Man United 2-2 Porto
29 April 2009 – Man United 1-0 Arsenal
2009/2010
30 September 2009 – Man United 2-1 Wolfsburg
3 November 2009 – Man United 3-3 CSKA Moscow
25 November 2009 – Man United 0-1 Besiktas
10 March 2010 – Man United 4-0 Milan
7 April 2010 – Man United 3-2 Bayern
2010/2011
14 September 2010 – Man United 0-0 Rangers
20 October 2010 – Man United 1-0 Bursaspor
7 December 2010 – Man United 1-1 Valencia
15 March 2011 – Man United 2-1 Marseille
12 April 2011 – Man United 2-1 Chelsea
4 May 2011 – Man United 4-1 Schalke
28 May 2011 – Barcelona 3-1 Man United (final)
2011/2012
27 September 2011 – Man United 3-3 Basel
2 November 2011 – Man United 2-0 Otelul
22 November 2011 – Man United 2-2 Benfica
2012/2013
19 September 2012 – Man United 1-0 Galatasary
23 October 2012 – Man United 3-2 Braga
5 December 2012 – Man United 0-1 CFR Cluj
Manchester City
2011/2012
14 September 2011 – Man City 1-1 Napoli
18 October 2011 – Man City 2-1 Villarreal
7 December 2011 – Man City 2-0 Bayern Munich
2012/2013
3 October 2012 – Man City 1-1 Dortmund
6 November 2012 – Man City 2-2 Ajax
21 November 2012 – Man City 1-1 Real Madrid
Tottenham Hotspur
2010/2011
25 August 2010 – Tottenham 4-0 Young Boys
29 September 2010 – Tottenham 4-1 FC Twente
2 November 2010 – Tottenham 3-1 Inter Milan
24 November 2010 – Tottenham 3-0 Werder Bremen
9 March 2011 – Tottenham 0-0 AC Milan
13 April 2011 – Tottenham 0-1 Real Madrid
Chelsea
2008/2009
16 September 2008 – Chelsea 4-0 Bordeaux
22 October 2008 – Chelsea 1-0 Roma
9 December 2008 – Chelsea 2-1 CFR Cluj
25 February 2009 – Chelsea 1-0 Juventus
14 April 2009 – Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool
6 May 2009 – Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona
2009/2010
15 September 2009 – Chelsea 1-0 Porto
21 October 2009 – Chelsea 4-0 Atletico Madrid
8 December 2009 – Chelsea 2-2 APOEL
16 March 2010 – Chelsea 0-1 Inter Milan
2010/2011
28 September 2010 – Chelsea 2-0 Marseille
3 November 2010 – Chelsea 4-1 Spartak Moscow
23 November 2010 – Chelsea 2-1 Zilina
16 March 2011 – Chelsea 0-0 FC Copenhagen
6 April 2011 – Chelsea 0-1 Manchester United
2011/2012
13 September 2011 – Chelsea 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen
19 October 2011 – Chelsea 5-0 Genk
6 December 2011 – Chelsea 3-0 Valencia
14 March 2012 – Chelsea 4-1 Napoli
4 April 2012 – Chelsea 2-1 Benfica
18 April 2012 – Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona
2012/2013
19 September 2012 – Chelsea 2-2 Juventus
7 November 2012 – Chelsea 3-2 Shaktar Donetsk
5 December 2012 – Chelsea 6-1 Nordsjaelland
Liverpool
2008/2009
27 August 2008 – Liverpool 1-0 Standard Liege
1 October 2008 – Liverpool 3-1 PSV Eindhoven
4 November 2008 – Liverpool 1-1 Atletico Madrid
26 November 2008 – Liverpool 1-0 Marseille
10 March 2009 – Liverpool 4-0 Real Madrid
8 April 2009 – Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea
2009/2010
16 September 2009 – Liverpool 1-0 Debrecen
20 October 2009 – Liverpool 1-2 Lyon
9 December 2009 – Liverpool 1-2 Fiorentina
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