Macedonian side Podeba charged with match-fixing

Macedonia club FK Podeba stands accused of fixing the result of a Champions League qualifier in an alleged betting scam, UEFA announced here on Thursday.

European football’s governing body said it had charged the club’s president and one player in connection with the July 13, 2004 first qualifying round game against Armenia side FC Pyunik.

In a statement UEFA explained the two men were under investigation for “being in breach of the principles of integrity and sportsmanship by manipulating the outcome of a UEFA match to gain an undue advantage for themselves and a third party”.

“The charge is based on reports received from the betting industry on irregular betting patterns and the declarations of several witnesses,” the statement added.

UEFA’s control and disciplinary Body will hear the case on 17 April.

A spokesman for FK Podeba said they would give their reaction once all the facts in the case had become clear.

“The inquiry must takes its full course and if it shows that someone was involved in illegal activities then sanctions will be taken,” Zoran Nikolovski told AFP by telephone from Skopje.

UEFA President Michel Platini spoke out about the threat of illegal betting on football at UEFA’s 33rd Congress here this week, saying the practice would “kill our sport”.

“If results are fixed in advance football no longer has any reason to exist,” he claimed.

From next season UEFA has set up a system of prevention and fraud detection for first and second division fixtures and Cup-competitions in each of its 53 member countries.