16.03.2006
Bayern Munich FC has totally rejected newspaper claims alleging Bastian Schweinsteiger placed bets on football matches in which he was involved. The 21-year-old has assured the board of directors in a face-to-face meeting that the report as published is totally fabricated.
"We called in a lawyer at once," Bayern general manager Uli Hoeneß told the Tagesspiegel daily. Schweinsteiger informed the club he had "never in his life placed a single Euro on a match."
A Munich daily newspaper ran a story in its Friday edition claiming the Germany international was one of three Munich-based professional footballers involved in a gambling ring, and that he had placed bets on potentially manipulated matches. The police had interviewed Schweinsteiger on Thursday, the report alleged.
State prosecutor denies reports
Senior state prosecutor Anton Winkler from the Munich I state prosecution service rejected the report early on Thursday evening. Schweinsteiger, absent from training in the last two days with flu, had not been questioned by the police nor the prosecution service, the official stated.
"We're currently evaluating information. We're not talking about names," Winkler remarked. No evidence had been produced regarding any involvement on Schweinsteiger's part in alleged gambling or manipulation. Bayern Munich has instructed a lawyer, and the club is considering mounting a case for damages.
DFB rises to players' defence
The German Football Association (DFB) has also reacted to the report with a robust defence of the players. "The behaviour currently exhibited by parts of the media is irresponsible, unfounded, and calculated to damage the image of players, Bundesliga clubs and the German national team," commented DFB Executive President Dr Theo Zwanziger.
In the absence of demonstrable facts, "we are obliged to vigorously defend our players and thus our sport," Zwanziger continued, adding the association would pursue "all legal means" of resisting such media practices.
Bayern Munich FC has totally rejected newspaper claims alleging Bastian Schweinsteiger placed bets on football matches in which he was involved. The 21-year-old has assured the board of directors in a face-to-face meeting that the report as published is totally fabricated.
"We called in a lawyer at once," Bayern general manager Uli Hoeneß told the Tagesspiegel daily. Schweinsteiger informed the club he had "never in his life placed a single Euro on a match."
A Munich daily newspaper ran a story in its Friday edition claiming the Germany international was one of three Munich-based professional footballers involved in a gambling ring, and that he had placed bets on potentially manipulated matches. The police had interviewed Schweinsteiger on Thursday, the report alleged.
State prosecutor denies reports
Senior state prosecutor Anton Winkler from the Munich I state prosecution service rejected the report early on Thursday evening. Schweinsteiger, absent from training in the last two days with flu, had not been questioned by the police nor the prosecution service, the official stated.
"We're currently evaluating information. We're not talking about names," Winkler remarked. No evidence had been produced regarding any involvement on Schweinsteiger's part in alleged gambling or manipulation. Bayern Munich has instructed a lawyer, and the club is considering mounting a case for damages.
DFB rises to players' defence
The German Football Association (DFB) has also reacted to the report with a robust defence of the players. "The behaviour currently exhibited by parts of the media is irresponsible, unfounded, and calculated to damage the image of players, Bundesliga clubs and the German national team," commented DFB Executive President Dr Theo Zwanziger.
In the absence of demonstrable facts, "we are obliged to vigorously defend our players and thus our sport," Zwanziger continued, adding the association would pursue "all legal means" of resisting such media practices.
Buy on AliExpress.com
