Police Raid Multiple Football Clubs Over Cases Of Fraud And Match Fixing

Belgian authorities say 57 police raids are ongoing in Belgium and six other European nations in a vast probe into financial fraud and match-fixing in football.

The federal prosecutor’s office in Brussels said 44 raids occurred in Belgium and 13 more in France, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia.

Belgian media, including public broadcaster RTBF, said police had conducted searches in the premises of 10 clubs including Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Standard Liege.

A spokesman said that a year-old probe found evidence of “suspect financial operations” by agents and also indications “of possible influencing of games” during the previous season.

Reports suggest that Mogi Bayat, Belgium’s best known agent, Brugge coach Ivan Leko and a former Anderlecht coach were among those being questioned.

The investigation centres on “activities relating to a criminal organisation, money laundering and private corruption”.

“Match-fixing undermines the integrity of sports. the Justice Department is working for a fair sport,” Justice Minister Koen Geens said.

The probe comes only three months after Belgium’s national team reached the World Cup semi-finals.

“Agents, referees, a former lawyer, an accounting office, jewellers, journalists” were among those hit by the raids, authorities said.