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| Investigation Finds Suspected Fixing in 680 Soccer Matches | Investigation Finds Suspected Fixing in 680 Soccer Matches |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| THE HAGUE — Criminal organizations have infiltrated the highest levels of European and international soccer, threatening the very integrity of the sport, global law enforcement officials said on Monday as they unveiled the results of a 19-month investigation that showed hundreds of people involved in match-fixing. | |
| At least 425 people from more than 15 countries — including club and match officials, current and former players — are suspected of conspiring to fix hundreds of matches on behalf of Asian criminal syndicates which made millions of dollars in profits by betting on the results, they said. | At least 425 people from more than 15 countries — including club and match officials, current and former players — are suspected of conspiring to fix hundreds of matches on behalf of Asian criminal syndicates which made millions of dollars in profits by betting on the results, they said. |
| Those matches included qualifying games for both the World Cup and European Cup, and two Champions League matches, including one in England. | Those matches included qualifying games for both the World Cup and European Cup, and two Champions League matches, including one in England. |
| “This is a sad day for European football, and more evidence of the corrupting influence of organized crime,” said Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, which helped to coordinate the investigation among European Union member states, Interpol and non-European nations. | “This is a sad day for European football, and more evidence of the corrupting influence of organized crime,” said Rob Wainwright, the director of Europol, which helped to coordinate the investigation among European Union member states, Interpol and non-European nations. |
| Citing the current doping scandal that has undermined public trust and interest in cycling, Mr. Wainwright warned that the problem must be tackled quickly or soccer would lose the trust of the public. | Citing the current doping scandal that has undermined public trust and interest in cycling, Mr. Wainwright warned that the problem must be tackled quickly or soccer would lose the trust of the public. |
| In all, 680 matches have been identified as suspect, officials said, including 300 outside of Europe, primarily in Asia, Africa and Latin America. | In all, 680 matches have been identified as suspect, officials said, including 300 outside of Europe, primarily in Asia, Africa and Latin America. |
| It was not immediately clear how many of the matches identified were already known to the public or were the result of new discoveries. | It was not immediately clear how many of the matches identified were already known to the public or were the result of new discoveries. |
| Officials declined to identify any of the teams or individuals involved in the ongoing investigations, citing the need to guard the confidentiality of police procedures. | Officials declined to identify any of the teams or individuals involved in the ongoing investigations, citing the need to guard the confidentiality of police procedures. |
| The officials, speaking to journalists at Europol headquarters, said that a joint team was created in July 2011 following the realization by German prosecutors that there was a major overlap between suspects in their own match-fixing probe and suspects identified in a separate investigation by the Italian police. | The officials, speaking to journalists at Europol headquarters, said that a joint team was created in July 2011 following the realization by German prosecutors that there was a major overlap between suspects in their own match-fixing probe and suspects identified in a separate investigation by the Italian police. |