The KNVB wants the state of affairs around this match to be investigated by the police. That the promise competition is in the picture with match fixers comes as no complete surprise. “We are now confirmed in our fear,” says secretary-general Gijs de Jong of the KNVB.
According to Stekelenburg, the players in the U23 league and even in the Kitchen Champion Division are a vulnerable group. “They are guys who earn almost nothing.” And then the amounts the fixers come up with can be tempting.
He also sees a danger if young players who have been involved in match fixing make the move to the Premier League or abroad. “Once you get sucked into that world, you’re very, very vulnerable.”
Information to the youth
Fighting match fixing is not easy. That is why Theo Janssen, himself a trainer of Vitesse under 19, also advocates information to the youth. “How much information do we, as trainers and club, give young players?” he wonders.
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