Liverpool Game In Match-Fixing Probe
Liverpool's 8-0 win over Besiktas in the Champions League last month is reportedly under investigation by UEFA on suspicion of match fixing.
Reports from Germany have alleged that UEFA officials are to probe Liverpool's 8-0 Champions League win over Turkish side Besiktas, suspecting the result of the game may have been fixed.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung understands that the result - the biggest winning margin in Champions League history - is one of 26 matches UEFA have called in Europol to investigate.
While there is no suggestion that Liverpool themselves have been involved in anything untoward, eyebrows have been raised following Besiktas' second half collapse.
Suspicious Betting
Seven minutes into the second half, the Turkish outfit trailed 2-0, only to subsquently fold and concede a further six times.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung's report suggests that an uncharacteristically large number of bets - involving massive sums of money - were placed shortly before the game on the Reds triumphing by a whopping margin. Asked to comment, a Liverpool spokesman would only say that the club had not been contacted by UEFA about any incident.
No Isolated Incident
The match is just one of many to come under investigation, with the majority of the other games involving early rounds of the Uefa and Intertoto cups and predominantly sides from Eastern Europe.
Hamburg's victory over Honved in a Uefa Cup qualifying round in August is also allegedly being treated with suspicion: the Hanseaten saw their lead stretch to 4-0 after an own goal and another late strike.
goal.com