FIFA To Investigate 1990's PL Spot Fixing Claims

Last updated : 11 July 2012 By Covsupport News Service

FIFA are to investigate claims by former Southampton captain Claus Lundekvam that he, his then team-mates and opposing captains were involved in the spot fixing of matches. 

The claims arise from the late 1990's and Lundekvam said to Norwegian TV station NRK: "It's not something I'm proud of.

"For a while we did this almost every week. We made a fair bit of money. We could make deals with the opposing captain about, for example, betting on the first throw, the first corner, who started with the ball, a yellow card or a penalty.

"Those were the sorts of thing we had influence over."

He denied ever rigging the result of a game and said: "The results were never on the agenda. That is something I would never have done. We were professional competitors. Even though what we did, of course, was illegal, it was just a fun thing."

Francis Benali who is a former Southampton captain said to BBC Radio Solent:

"I'm aware of the revelations and I'm very surprised in many ways," he said.

"I wasn't aware of it going on in the past so I certainly don't know of it going on now.

"it is widely known that Claus has had a few personal problems in recent times and I wonder if that is why he has come out with this story.

"The way it has come across, it's like all of us were at it and all in on the betting scam and everyone had knowledge of it. That wasn't the case."