Spain UEFA betting probe

December 2nd, 2009

Second division clubs Las Palmas and Rayo Vallecano of Spain, plus seven professional soccer player are under investigation by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over betting on matches.

The RFEF received a tip from the UEFA, on which they reacted by starting the inquiry. Soccer club Las Palmas listed the player names in a statement on their site, none of the players are in their squad. The UEFA started an investigation into 5 clubs In November after they received allegations of match-fixing. The clubs are KF Tirana and KS Vllaznia of Albania, FC Dinaburg of Latvia, NK IB Ljubljana of Slovenia and Budapest Honved of Hungary. The five clubs are believed to be involved in seven fixed games, consisting of one Champions League qualifier and six Europa League qualifiers. No probes into matches regarding British clubs have been launched. Late September the UEFA was investigating 40 matches, but toned down to seven games. The UEFA will also look into the roles of 3 referees and another official. Professional soccer has been victim of a series of bad news, last month, German authorities revealed a betting probe investigating about 200 matches for possible match-fixing, and the arrest of dozens of people involved in the betting ring. Other country’s under investigation by the UEFA include Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Austria.