Point Shaving & Fixes ·
Belgian police raid football clubs in fraud and match-fixing inquiry
The October 2018 searches reached clubs, homes and offices in seven countries. Charges and football suspensions followed, but the allegations had not been adjudicated.
In October 2018, Belgian police searched football clubs and private homes in an investigation into suspected financial fraud and possible match-fixing. Federal prosecutors reported 44 searches in Belgium and another 13 across six countries, from France to Serbia. Anderlecht, Standard Liege and Club Bruges confirmed that their premises had been searched. Bruges coach Ivan Leko was taken in for questioning, along with agents and other figures in the game.
The inquiry, later known as Operation Zero, had been launched at the end of 2017 into suspect financial transactions in Belgium’s top league. Prosecutors suspected some agents of concealing commissions on player transfers, players’ pay and other payments from the authorities. Searches reached the homes of club directors, agents and referees, as well as an accountancy office. The overseas searches chiefly targeted premises belonging to people used to arrange the suspected transactions, prosecutors said.
During the financial investigation, prosecutors said, investigators found indications that matches in the 2017–18 season might have been influenced. The Associated Press reported that the match-fixing allegations concerned the relegation fight and FC Mechelen, rather than the contest to win the league. Both the financial offenses and the possible influence on matches remained allegations.
By October 12, 19 people faced charges, and nine were in custody, including a referee and three agents. Federal prosecutor’s spokeswoman Wenke Roggen said the charges across the case included membership of a criminal organisation, match-fixing, money laundering and corruption.
For Leko, the immediate consequence was a night in jail followed by a return to the training pitch. Released on Thursday, he was back with Club Bruges on Friday, still charged with money laundering. His club said that charge concerned a period before he joined Bruges. “I didn’t deserve this, what happened the last two days,” he said. He was applauded on his return, and the owners publicly maintained their confidence: “Club Brugge sees no reason why it should end its relationship of trust with Ivan Leko, both as a coach and as an individual.”
Elsewhere, football’s response was more restrictive. Two referees, including the one held in custody, were suspended until further notice. Belgium’s second division cancelled that weekend’s matches because of the scale of the scandal. The first division already had no fixtures scheduled because of the international break.
In January 2022, VRT reported that the judicial authorities had completed their investigation and requested that 57 of the original 73 suspects be summoned to court. They included referees, coaches, agents and club board members. The request was not a finding of guilt: magistrates still had to decide how many of the suspects would appear in court.