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Swedish League Game Postponed Over Match Fixing Fears

A top-flight soccer game in Sweden has been postponed after a player was offered a large sum of money to help fix the result, Sweden’s … Continue reading Swedish League Game Postponed Over Match Fixing Fears


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AFCON 2017: Egypt Defeat Burkina Faso In Penalty Shootout To Reach FinalA top-flight soccer game in Sweden has been postponed after a player was offered a large sum of money to help fix the result, Sweden’s Football Association said on Thursday.

The game between IFK Gothenburg and AIK Solna, two of Sweden’s biggest clubs, had been scheduled for Thursday.

The FA said a player in AIK was approached by a match-fixer on Tuesday and offered a large sum of money.

The player instead contacted the FA who alerted police. The FA also postponed the game.

Swedish Football Association General Secretary, Hakan Sjostrand, said, “From the information we have received, the decision (to postpone the match) was obvious because the right sporting conditions wouldn’t apply.

“That was our joint assessment – that is the teams involved, the Swedish Football Association, Swedish Elite Football and the police – when we looked at this.”

The FA did not release any details about which player was approached or how much he was offered.

AIK Chief Executive Officer, Mikael Ahlerup, said the club did the right thing.

“From AIK’s side, as a part of Swedish football, it was obvious that we should immediately contact the Swedish Football Association, the police and Swedish Elite Football for what is sneaking up on what is one of the biggest sports around us,” Ahlerup said.

“And it’s about all of us having a responsibility for Swedish football and we also have a common responsibility to stop criminal actors from succeeding with this kind of match fixing and other acts.”

It is not the first time Swedish football has faced match-fixing allegations. According to a media report last year, 43 players in the country’s top two flights were suspected of match-fixing.