Monday, December 19, 2005

'Fans would kill' soccer cheaters


I just found this too interesting not to post...

Herald News ServicesPublished: Monday, December 19, 2005

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he's confident there'll be no match-fixing at next year's soccer World Cup -- partly because fans would murder any players involved. Germany, Brazil and Italy have uncovered cases of match-fixing in the past year, raising fears the sport's showpiece in Germany may not be immune from corruption.
Blatter said all 64 games at the June 9 to July 9 tournament will be "monitored and controlled" with a view to detecting suspicious play. Some supporters couldn't cope with a player who cheated a national team, he said. "I would say fans would kill," Blatter said in Tokyo. "They would become so overwhelming against somebody in the field of play that such a thing would happen."Referee Robert Hoyzer was sentenced to 29 months in jail last month for fixing matches in Germany, while Brazil's supreme court declared 11 top division games void in October after a referee admitted wrongdoing.

Blatter, 69, said most instances of betting-related corruption involved clubs, not national teams. "I cannot imagine a player who is playing with the national anthem at the beginning and with the national emblem on his heart will go and do something against his country," he said. Police questioned four Vietnamese team members about alleged bribery at the SEA Games in the Philippines in November and December, Vietnam's Than Nien reported. Having FIFA-appointed referees reduces the possibility of foul play at the World Cup, Blatter said.

© The Calgary Herald 2005

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