Bulgarian prosecutor investigates match-fixing claims

13 Sep 2012, 12:44 am   -   Source: Reuters

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's prosecutor has opened an investigation into claims of match-fixing in four domestic games this season, the head of the Bulgarian Football Union's ethics commission said on Wednesday.

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's prosecutor has opened an investigation into claims of match-fixing in four domestic games this season, the head of the Bulgarian Football Union's ethics commission said on Wednesday.

"We informed the prosecutor about two Etar Veliko Tarnovo games -- at home to Pirin Gotse Delchev and away to Beroe Stara Zagora -- and they will be investigated," the commission's chief, Vasil Vasilev, told local media.

The 1991 Bulgarian champions Etar, who returned to the top flight after a 14-year spell in the lower divisions, lost the two games in question 1-0.

They were beaten by Beroe after a late own goal from substitute defender Kostadin Gadzhalov. The club's owner, Feyzi Ilhanli, sacked coach Tsanko Tsvetanov after the final whistle, accusing him of being involved in match-fixing, but reinstated him a day later saying he had made an emotional and hasty decision.

"This is utter nonsense," Tsvetanov, part of the Bulgaria side that reached the 1994 World Cup semi-finals, said. "Can you imagine this -- I love this club so much and there's no way to even try to fix a match."

Vasilev added: "We also handed information for one match from the junior championship and one from the women's championship, but I can't give more details."

Media reports have claimed match-fixing and corruption have been rife in Bulgaria for years, but no one has been brought to trial and the European Commission has criticised the authorities for doing little to fight the problem.

In June, Lokomotiv released nine players from a junior team on suspicion of match-fixing after their game against Sportist Svoge was abandoned after three men ran on to the pitch, threatened the referee, and hit the coach and one of the assistant referees.

Most of the games in the Balkan country's junior championship are included on bookmakers' betting coupons.

"There's widespread match-fixing in the junior championship," said Emil Dimitrov, the president of second division Chavdar Etropole and a member of the Bulgarian parliament.

"A year and a half ago, there was an attempt to fix our team's match but the lads informed us and we notified the GDCOM (general directorate combating organised crime).

"Some people were detained but they didn't charge them because there was no law on match-fixing. And then we initiated legal amendments under which anyone convicted of attempting to fix sports events will face up to six years in jail."

The parliament approved the amendments in July 2011.

The first documented manipulated game in Bulgaria took place in 1949, when Levski Sofia and city neighbours Akademik drew 1-1 in order that CSKA, Levski's bitter rivals, were relegated to the second division.

(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov, editing by Stephen Wood)

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