Largest International Match-Fixing Scandal Ever Results in 17 Arrests

The New York Times is reporting that 15 people in Germany and two people in Switzerland have been arrested for their involvement in what is being reported as the largest international match-fixing scandal in the history of European football. The 17 people who were arrested allegedly attempted to manipulate the outcome of games by offering bribes to coaches, players, referees and high ranking officials in European football leagues. The scandal includes approximately 200 games that were played in as many as nine countries.

The aspect of the match-fixing scandal that will likely be regarded as the one that is most controversial is the fact that three of the matches that are under suspicion occurred in the Champions League. The Champions League is universally regarded as the most prestigious league of professional football teams in the world of international football. The investigation was reportedly spearheaded by a German-based anti-fraud unit that has refused to publicly identify any of the 17 people who were arrested or reveal the matches that are in question.

However, a spokesman for the anti-fraud unit, Peter Limacher, declared, "Without question, this is the biggest betting fraud in the history of the U.E.F.A.". It has also been revealed that all of the matches that under suspicion for being involved in the match-fixing scandal occurred in 2009 and that the bets that were made by the suspects resulted in millions of euros in profits, according to The New York Times.