PRAGUE, Czech Repiblic: Czech police have carried out a large-scale raid over suspected match-fixing and betting fraud in football, with several dozen people detained, the public prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
Searches of homes at various locations were taking place and the questioning of suspects was under way, the prosecutor’s office said.
The news portal iSport.cz labelled it “the biggest police raid in the history of Czech football”.
The Czech football association (FACR) convened an extraordinary meeting of its executive board.
Association president, David Trunda, said the FACR had been working with investigators from the outset.
The ethics commission has opened 47 disciplinary proceedings.
“I am doing everything to ensure the betting mafia disappears from Czech sport,” Trunda stressed.
More than 40 players, officials, referees and club representatives are said to be involved in the case – from the fourth division up to the top flight, iSport.cz reported.
Youth competitions are also affected.
The raids were preceded by three years of investigations, carried out in cooperation with Europol and Interpol, the report said.
The case concerns suspicious matches since 2023. – BERNAMA-dpa
