Albania's Skenderbeu Football Club Is No. 1 At Match-fixing
Muhammad Rameez Published July 23, 2018 | 11:29 PM
Two months ago Albania's top football club, Skenderbeu, was raising a trophy to the sky as confetti rained down on the team, gleeful after clinching their seventh national title in eight seasons.
Tirana, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jul, 2018 ) :Two months ago Albania's top football club, Skenderbeu, was raising a trophy to the sky as confetti rained down on the team, gleeful after clinching their seventh national title in eight seasons.
But that joy is now a distant memory after the side was suspended from all European competitions for a decade -- the heaviest ever sanction imposed by UEFA.
The European sports body also slapped the team with a one million euro ($1.1 million) fine for what it claims was some of the most rampant match-rigging in football history.
"This club has been fixing football matches like nobody has ever done before in the history of the game," UEFA's ethics and disciplinary committee wrote in a damning report leaked in March.
Any lingering hope of a reprieve was dashed in June after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne confirmed that the suspension would go into force without waiting for an appeal, whose date has not yet been set.
For Skenderbeu, the ruling is nothing short of a "death sentence," said the club's president Ardian Takaj, who had hoped to bring the team to the preliminary rounds of the Europa League in July.
The team, named after the 15th century military commander Skanderbeg, is the only Albanian club to make it to the league's group stage.
Their blacklist from a future in European football has crushed a fervent fan base who gathered by the thousands in the team's home base in southeastern Korce in February pleading: "Do not kill our dream!" - 53 fixed matches - Relying on its Betting Fraud Detection System (BFDS), which tracks irregular betting movements around games, UEFA estimated that 53 Skenderbeu matches had been fixed since 2010.
Those include national, European and "even in friendly matches", the sports body said, describing the practice as "persistent and recurrent".
Skenderbeu officials and players continue to insist on their innocence, but more than a few matches have raised suspicions over the years.
For example, in July 2015, Skenderbeu was leading Northern Ireland's Crusaders 2-1 at the end of regular time in Belfast before their fortunes suddenly turned.
At the end of the match "hundreds of thousands of Dollars" were put on the bet that at least four goals will be scored, according to UEFA.
The Northern Ireland side then scored twice in a minute during the added time, thanks to slip-ups by Skenderbeu's defence and goalkeeper (3-2).
"If there is not a UEFA investigation into our game tonight, then there is something wrong," the Crusaders' goalkeeper, Sean O'Neill, tweeted at the time.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Azam Khan likely to miss T20I series against Kiwis due to discomfort in right kn ..
Badar Shahbaz Warraich appointed as PM’s media coordinator
Finance Minister rules out rupee devaluation in talks with IMF
National team determined for good performance against New Zealand: Babar Azam
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 18 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 18 April 2024
Saka and Odegaard start for Arsenal, Guerreiro in Bayern midfield
Qatar PM says re-evaluating Israel-Hamas mediation role
Govt spokesperson terms allegations of PTI's Marwat against Saudi Arabia 'heinou ..
Minister appreciate UAE’s support for Pakistan economic challenges
Manchester City v Real Madrid Champions League starting line-ups
MIGA's support Pakistan in attracting foreign investments: Federal Minister for ..
More Stories From Sports
-
Former number one Momota retires from international badminton at 29
48 minutes ago -
Azam Khan likely to miss T20I series against Kiwis due to discomfort in right knee
1 hour ago -
Former number one Momota retires from international badminton at 29
1 hour ago -
Two Pak coaches complete UCI Level 1 course
3 hours ago -
National team determined for good performance against New Zealand: Babar Azam
4 hours ago -
Saka and Odegaard start for Arsenal, Guerreiro in Bayern midfield
15 hours ago
-
Manchester City v Real Madrid Champions League starting line-ups
15 hours ago -
Walker returns to captain Man City for Real Madrid clash
16 hours ago -
Nadal comeback ends in Barcelona Open second round
16 hours ago -
Karachi, Lahore, Quetta win matches of National Women’s Cricket Tournament
16 hours ago -
Pakistan, West Indies ODI series commences on Thursday
16 hours ago -
Moyes hopes Leverkusen's title celebrations benefit West Ham
16 hours ago