Dozens of current and former football players have been charged with match-fixing, prosecutors said Thursday, in a deepening scandal which has battered the reputation of South Korea’s K-League.
Prosecutors have charged 57 people — 46 current and former players and 11 criminal gang members and gambling brokers — for fixing 15 matches last year, said the prosecutors’ office in the southeastern city of Changwon.
The players intentionally lost games in exchange for money paid by retired players and brokers linked with organised gangs, it said in a statement.
“We have found match-fixing practices were so widespread,” the statement said, adding it involved some players earning large salaries and “one who played at the national team.”
Many players had been forced to repeatedly throw games after the gangs threatened to report their involvement in the scam to authorities, it said, without naming any of the players and teams.
“Many of them (gangsters) have run away…we know that these gangsters threatened players and masterminded the match-rigging,” Yonhap news agency quoted senior prosecutor Kwak Kyoo-Hyun as saying.
Investigators said they believe at least 15 matches involving six teams were rigged last year while players received from 3 million won (US$2,800) to 31 million won from brokers.
The players came from Chunnam Dragons, Daejeon Citizen, Busan I’Park, Incheon United, Daegu FC and a Sangju-based military team, Yonhap reported, adding many of them have turned themselves in return for lenient penalties.
Players from three other teams — Gyeongnam FC, Incheon United and Jeju United — are also being investigated for possible match-fixing, Kwak said.
Choi Sung-Kuk, a former national team forward, earlier this month admitted his involvement in throwing games while playing for a military football team last year.
Eleven players have already been charged with taking money to throw games. Another player who was implicated in the scandal committed suicide. Of the 11, all but one have been banned for life from the K-League.
Nearly all football players, coaches, referees and officials have now signed a pledge to root out match-fixing and other illegal activities, while league officials have urged players to come forward in return for softer penalties.
South Korean newspapers have said football clubs, keen to hush up the scandal, have been silently expelling players implicated in match-rigging since last year.
Illegal gambling websites, many of them operated by crime rings in South Korea and China, have heightened the temptation among players to fix matches.
They are the current leading soccer tipsters in this month competition. See also tipsters rankings.
yungkeyv
posts a 1X2 tip on Audace Cerignola vs SSC Giugliano 1 minute ago |
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yungkeyv
posts a 1X2 tip on Audace Cerignola vs SSC Giugliano 1 minute ago |
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MEMI
posts a In-Play 1X2 tip on Wuppertaler SV vs Fortuna Düsseldorf II 3 minutes ago |
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willpower
posts a In-Play 1X2 tip on Sektzia Nes Tziona vs Hapoel Kfar Saba 9 minutes ago |
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willpower
posts a In-Play 1X2 tip on Hapoel Nof HaGalil vs Hapoel Ramat HaSharon 10 minutes ago |
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Pavilionking
posts a Both Teams to Score tip on Kaizer Chiefs vs TS Galaxy 10 minutes ago |
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willpower
posts a In-Play 1X2 tip on Hapoel Acre vs Hapoel Ramat Gan 10 minutes ago |
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willpower
posts a In-Play 1X2 tip on Hapoel Acre vs Hapoel Ramat Gan 10 minutes ago |
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Pavilionking
posts a 1X2 tip on SuperSport United vs Sekhukhune United 11 minutes ago |
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123Antony
posts a 1X2 tip on Nacional vs River Plate 14 minutes ago |
Upcoming football matches with excellent head to head records over their opponents.
KCCA vs UPDF |
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Football clubs who play better for their home games H2H.
Al Ahly vs Al Ittihad |
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Football clubs that play well for their away games.
Hapoel Acre vs Hapoel Ramat Gan |
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Motivated teams after winning five matches in a row or they have maintained a ten-match unbeaten run. The bookmakers label them as favourites for a reason.
Teams in crisis after five consecutive defeats or they did not win their last ten football matches. You should avoid betting on these underdogs.
Teams having a draw in the last five matches.
Teams that have won all their home matches.
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Teams that have not won at away matches.
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This tipsters ranking is based on single picks excluding doubles and multi accumulators. For the full ranking click here.
Tipsters with consecutive winnings in their recent predictions.
Tipsters whom have lost a few matches in a row. Bad luck you call it.
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