German authorities are currently investigating claims of a match-fixing and betting fraud operation within the country’s lower-tier soccer leagues. This probe began after The Hamburger Morgenpost uncovered message logs allegedly showing details about rigged matches being sold on the dark web.
The messages reportedly involved 17 matches and provided details on how these games were to be manipulated. Evidence suggests that the seller found buyers for this information, with transactions conducted via bitcoin, according to The Morgenpost.
Police forces from the states of Hesse and Saarland have confirmed ongoing investigations into suspicious matches in their jurisdictions, with the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) coordinating the efforts.
Unusual Goals and Referee Decisions
Although The Morgenpost did not publish the exact messages or reveal which games were involved to avoid disrupting the investigation, it reported that the manipulated matches featured peculiar goals and questionable referee decisions. One game even consisted entirely of own goals.
The matches in question spanned leagues from Germany’s third division to the regionalized fifth-tier competitions, with most played during weekday evenings. Four teams were repeatedly mentioned in the logs.
A representative from the German Football Association (DFB) said that while no concrete evidence of match-fixing has been presented to them, they are cooperating with authorities and monitoring the situation closely, along with their integrity partner, Genius Sports.
Lower Leagues, Higher Risk
Match-fixing is often more prevalent in lower-level leagues, where the players earn less and may be more vulnerable to corruption. While players in the third division (3. Liga) still earn professional wages, those in the semi-professional fourth division (4. Liga) and amateur fifth division (Oberliga) are less well-compensated. In the Oberliga, players are unpaid.
Betting on amateur matches is illegal in Germany, but some offshore websites are known to offer odds on these games.
The Hoyzer Scandal Revisited
Germany’s most notorious match-fixing case occurred in 2005, when referee Robert Hoyzer admitted to fixing and betting on matches. Hoyzer, who officiated primarily in the second division, was found to have accepted bribes from a gambling syndicate linked to organized crime. He was banned from soccer for life and later sentenced to two years and five months in prison.
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