From: ThePresident
680 soccer matches--including two Champion League matches and qualifying games for the World and European cups--are suspected of being fixed. Global law enforcement officials announced the results of a 19-month investigation, Monday, which implicates at least 425 people from over 15 countries in a multi-million dollar scheme. "This is a sad day for European football, and more evidence of the corrupting influence of organized crime," said Rob Wainright, director of Europol--one of the entities that helped in the investigation. A European soccer match-fixing investigation has uncovered more than 380 suspicious games, including Word Cup and European Championship qualifiers and two Champions League games, police said today. Rob Wainwright, head of the European police agency Europol, said the investigation uncovered "match fixing activity on a scale we have not seen before." He said it uncovered 8 million euros (£6.9 million) in betting profits and 2 million euros (£1.7 million) in bribes to players and officials and has already led to several prosecutions. europol Director of Europol Rob Wainwright takes his seat prior to elaborating on findings of the probe Mr Wainwright said the involvement of organised crime "highlights a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe." It was not clear how many of the matches have been revealed in previous match fixing investigations at a national level in countries including Germany and Italy. champions league The Champions League final will be held at Wembley again this year "This is a sad day for European football," Mr Wainwright said. He said a Singapore-based criminal network was involved in the match fixing, spending up to 100,000 euros (£86,000) per match to bribe players and officials. He refused to identify any of the suspects, players or matches involved, citing ongoing investigations. He said while many fixed matches were already known, the Europol investigation lifted the lid on the widespread involvement or organised crime in rigging games. "This is the first time we have established substantial evidence that organised crime is now operating in the world of football," he said. The European Union police organization, Europol, uncovered a massive match-fixing scheme that they say presents "a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe." As the AP reports, the Europol investigation found "more than 380 suspicious matches — including World Cup and European Championship qualifiers and two Champions League games — and found evidence that a Singapore-based crime group is closely involved in match-fixing." BBC Sport reports police say one Champions League game that ended in a tie was a part of the fixed matches. "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," Rob Waiwright, director of Europol, said according to the BBC. "We have uncovered an extensive criminal network." Wainwright said this is the first time they have evidence to establish organized crime has taken a foothold in the soccer world. The AP adds: "He said a Singapore-based criminal network was involved in the match fixing, spending up to €100,000 ($136,500) per match to bribe players and officials. "It was not immediately clear how many of the matches mentioned Monday have been revealed in previous match-fixing investigations in countries including Germany and Italy. "Wainwright and other officials and prosecutors declined to identify any of the suspects, players or matches involved, citing their ongoing investigations."