Title: Suspicious Betting Activity Raises Concerns in German Regional Football Match
Subtitle: Authorities Investigate Possible Match Manipulation in Lower League Game
Date: October 10, 2018
In a lower league football match held on Sunday, October 7th, only a little over a thousand fans turned up at the twelve-thousand-seat stadium on the eastern outskirts of Frankfurt. The visiting team, Theisen, and Güclü, managed to score two goals against the home team’s goalkeeper, Ospelt, before halftime. The third goal was scored in the 86th minute. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to anyone present.
However, during the week, Swiss company Sportradar, which collects and analyzes data, alerted authorities to unusually large sums of money being placed on Haiger leading 2-0 at halftime. According to confidential information obtained by Kicker magazine, the timing and amount of the bets do not correspond to the usual betting patterns in regional league matches.
“The Federal Ministry of the Interior has received a tip regarding a possible match manipulation attempt. The case has been handed over to the criminal police and the office for reporting sports manipulations,” stated a spokesperson for the ministry.
So far, the investigation has not affected the clubs involved. “No one has contacted us yet. We take the issue of match manipulation very seriously, but there is no evidence that anything of the sort occurred in our game,” said representatives of FSV Frankfurt.
After reviewing the footage, Kicker claims that the goals were a result of individual, but common, mistakes that occur even among professionals. The match was officiated by Marc Heiker, who serves as a referee in youth competitions and the fourth and fifth divisions of men’s football.
“There was nothing unusual or noticeable between the players and the referee before the actions that led to the goals,” wrote Kicker.
Both teams had their chances to score, with Frankfurt’s defense proving to be weak, and Haiger creating additional opportunities. However, the goalkeepers on both sides made impressive saves. The home team struggled with their finishing, which has been a recurring issue in previous matches.
It is believed that the bets were placed at betting offices outside of Germany, as those with licenses in Germany are not allowed to offer regional league matches.
“I watched the match again. I don’t see anything that indicates foul play. I don’t believe anything happened,” emphasized Thomas Brendel, the sporting director of FSV Frankfurt. “When I mentioned the suspicion to the players, they were surprised.”
Arif Güclü, the visiting team’s forward and scorer of one of the goals, who had previously played for Frankfurt for four years, said, “It felt like a normal game to me, just like any other. The suspicion is, of course, a bit shocking. I can’t imagine that the players I know would be involved in anything like that.”
Frankfurt currently sits in 14th place out of 18 teams after thirteen rounds of matches. Haiger is in fifth place, but if they win their postponed match against Stuttgart’s reserve team, they will be just one point behind the league leaders, Freiberg.
Recently, suspicions of match-fixing have also arisen in lower league matches in the Czech Republic.
In connection with this, a well-known referee has been implicated.Title: Suspicious Betting Activity Raises Concerns of Match Fixing in German Regional League
Subtitle: Similar suspicions of match manipulation emerge in Czech lower league
Date: October 19, 2023
In a recent match in the German regional league, suspicions of match fixing have arisen following unusually large sums of money being placed on a halftime lead for Haigeru. The match, which took place on October 7th at a stadium on the outskirts of Frankfurt, saw only a little over a thousand fans in attendance.
Theisen and Güclü, playing for the visiting team, managed to score two goals against the home team’s goalkeeper, Ospelt, before halftime. The third goal was scored in the 86th minute. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
However, Swiss company Sportradar, which collects and analyzes sports data, alerted authorities to the unusually high amounts of money wagered on Haigeru leading 2-0 at halftime. The timing and size of the bets did not align with typical betting patterns for regional league matches.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior has received a tip regarding a possible match manipulation attempt and has handed the case over to the criminal police and the office for reporting sports manipulations. So far, the investigation has not implicated any clubs involved in the match.
The FSV Frankfurt, the home team, has not been contacted regarding the investigation. They take the issue of match manipulation seriously but emphasize that there is no evidence to suggest any wrongdoing in their match. The club’s representatives stated that the goals scored were a result of individual errors, which are common even among professionals.
The match was likely targeted by betting agencies outside of Germany, as those with licenses within the country are not permitted to offer bets on regional league matches. Upon reviewing the match footage, Thomas Brendel, the sporting director of FSV Frankfurt, expressed his disbelief in the allegations, stating that he saw nothing indicating foul play.
Players from both teams were surprised by the suspicions, with Arif Güclü, the visiting team’s striker and goal scorer, stating that the match felt like any other regular game. He expressed his inability to imagine any of the players he knows being involved in such activities.
FSV Frankfurt currently sits in 14th place in the league table after thirteen rounds of matches, while Haigeru occupies the fifth spot. However, if Haigeru wins their postponed match against Stuttgart’s reserve team, they will be just one point behind the league leaders, Freiberg.
These suspicions of match fixing in lower leagues are not limited to Germany. Recently, in the Czech Republic, referee Michal Paták was removed from the list of officials after making a controversial penalty call in a third division match between Admira and České Budějovice’s reserve team. Betting companies specializing in suspicious activities noted a surge in bets from the European and Asian markets just before the penalty call, which was related to the number of goals in the first half.
Vlastimil Ogrodník, another referee, was also removed from officiating duties after awarding a penalty in the sixth minute of added time in the first half of a match between Hodonín and Ostrava B, with the scoreline at 0-0.
These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges faced by football authorities in combating match fixing and ensuring the integrity of the sport at all levels.
How does the current league position of Frankfurt and Haiger impact the potential motive for match manipulation in the German regional league
In football matches.
Kicker magazine reviewed the footage of the match and concluded that the goals were the result of common mistakes that can occur in any game, even at the professional level. The match was officiated by referee Marc Heiker, who has experience officiating in youth competitions and lower divisions of men’s football.
Both teams had their chances to score, with Frankfurt’s defense showing weaknesses and Haiger creating additional opportunities. The goalkeepers on both sides made impressive saves throughout the match. Frankfurt’s finishing has been a recurring issue in previous matches, contributing to their struggle to secure wins.
It is suspected that the bets placed on the match were made at betting offices located outside of Germany, as German-licensed betting platforms are not allowed to offer bets on regional league matches.
Thomas Brendel, the sporting director of FSV Frankfurt, watched the match again and stated that he did not see anything indicating foul play. He expressed surprise at the suspicion, and when he discussed it with the players, they too were taken aback.
Arif Güclü, the forward for the visiting team who scored one of the goals, said that the match felt like a normal game to him and expressed shock at the suspicion. He couldn’t imagine any of the players he knows being involved in match-fixing.
Currently, Frankfurt sits in 14th place out of 18 teams in the league, while Haiger is in fifth place. If Haiger wins their postponed match against Stuttgart’s reserve team, they will be just one point behind the league leaders, Freiberg.
This recent suspicion of match manipulation in the German regional league follows similar concerns arising in lower league matches in the Czech Republic, where a well-known referee has been implicated.
This is deeply concerning and needs to be thoroughly investigated to ensure the integrity of the sport.
It’s disappointing to see match-fixing potentially infiltrating the regional football scene. The authorities should take swift action to uphold fair play and protect the sport.