Champs League game named in match-fixing trial

BOCHUM: The Champions League was on Friday dragged into the Europe-wide betting scandal here after a group stage match was named in the trial of six men accused of match-fixing.

The Group E match between Hungarian side Debreceni VSC and Italy’s Fiorentina on Oct 20 2009, which finished in a 4-3 win for the Italians, has been named as one of those allegedly fixed by the group.

Bochum’s public prosecutions office has linked the main defendants, who are named only as Ante S. and Marijo C., to the Champions League game where six goals were scored in the first-half alone.

This is the first time a Champions League game has been named in the trial which is said to have involved 3.5mil worth of bets and affected 47 matches across the continent.

A 2010 World up qualifier between Liechtenstein and Finland in 2009 has also been named in the trial.