When we entered ourselves in the subject of match fixing in football in Argentina, we did it in order to prove to ourselves that the game in our country was clean.
That, we as fans can still go to watch our team knowing that when the first whistle is blown, magic will take place, and our team will do everything they can to win every game.
That is the reason why you fall in love with a club, then spend money following it, buying shirts, or any other related material to show how proud you are to support them.
Football, without the magic of anyone can win the game, it is not football. If the matches are fixed and the winners predetermined, there is when football becomes professional wrestling.
It loses its magic, its glory, its honour, its total reason to be.
To our disillusion we learnt that many games were fixed, that entire tournaments were fixed, and that very little that happens inside the pitch is a direct result of who plays better on that particular day.
In many countries, the blame is placed on betting syndicates who are powerful, move a lot of money, but also pay a lot of money to those involved in helping them.
During our six months interest in the subject, we found that here the ones running the business are the referees.
Come on, that is impossible, you must be thinking, and in theory you are right. To fix a game you need more than a referee, we also need somebody who is willing to tempt that official.
Ok so it is not just the referees, it has to be the club officials as well, because the money or “gifts” to pay the officials have to come from the clubs.
Solved then, the ones to blame are the referees and the club directors.
Wait, still not right, because if at least a few players are not involved, during a game a referee alone can’t guarantee to have earned his payday from the official.
So basically we have Referees, Directors and players to blame for, end of story.
That simple? Now it sounds silly, there are many people involved, many people to keep happy, many to keep quiet. Impossible that the national federation doesn’t know, and if they knew, they would surely put a stop to it…
So the only ones that are stupid and know nothing about it are the fans who support the teams hoping to see them win?
Hmmm… Some fans, to call them somehow, play a part in the business as well.
We are going to make it easier for you, the reader, the only ones who don’t know, are you and us, the media (We are sure that journalists have connections and are involved as well, but nobody ever involved one of them)
Throughout our research, we have spoken to 2 ex referees who told us their business (they were the first ones to go public) and they even told us that they were corrupt themselves.
We also spoke to ex clubs directors or board members who told us of some of the things they did for the “benefit of their clubs” at the time they were serving.
We reviewed countless games where we were told of suspicious circumstances, and we only discarded 2 of those as inconclusive.
Some games didn’t even end up with the expected outcome due to unforeseen details by the perpetrators, but those involved still got their money.
We spoke to members of 2 clubs Barras Brava (name given to the violent sector of every club’s supporters) where they told us what role they have played to influence the way games can go.
We spoke to a legion of players and Managers involved on those countless games we have reviewed, and you know what? They are the only ones who deny playing any part in match fixing.
Introduction to the subject done; now all it rests is to publish our findings.
When the opening into a subject takes as long as this has done so far, it means there is lots to tell you about, and lots for you to take in.
So over the next few days, we will divide the findings in different areas: Referees, Clubs, Players and Managers, Federation, Barras Brava.
In total we will give you five more parts, for you to take in and understand the complexity of the operation and how many people benefit from it.
Before you ask us, there are many of this allegations already taking course through the justice, but justice in Argentina is slow and……corrupt, so it may take some time to hear from them.
Tomorrow will be our next blog. Please feel free to read, ask, debate, comment, but please with respect.
So until tomorrow it is.
That, we as fans can still go to watch our team knowing that when the first whistle is blown, magic will take place, and our team will do everything they can to win every game.
That is the reason why you fall in love with a club, then spend money following it, buying shirts, or any other related material to show how proud you are to support them.
Football, without the magic of anyone can win the game, it is not football. If the matches are fixed and the winners predetermined, there is when football becomes professional wrestling.
It loses its magic, its glory, its honour, its total reason to be.
To our disillusion we learnt that many games were fixed, that entire tournaments were fixed, and that very little that happens inside the pitch is a direct result of who plays better on that particular day.
In many countries, the blame is placed on betting syndicates who are powerful, move a lot of money, but also pay a lot of money to those involved in helping them.
During our six months interest in the subject, we found that here the ones running the business are the referees.
Come on, that is impossible, you must be thinking, and in theory you are right. To fix a game you need more than a referee, we also need somebody who is willing to tempt that official.
Ok so it is not just the referees, it has to be the club officials as well, because the money or “gifts” to pay the officials have to come from the clubs.
Solved then, the ones to blame are the referees and the club directors.
Wait, still not right, because if at least a few players are not involved, during a game a referee alone can’t guarantee to have earned his payday from the official.
So basically we have Referees, Directors and players to blame for, end of story.
That simple? Now it sounds silly, there are many people involved, many people to keep happy, many to keep quiet. Impossible that the national federation doesn’t know, and if they knew, they would surely put a stop to it…
So the only ones that are stupid and know nothing about it are the fans who support the teams hoping to see them win?
Hmmm… Some fans, to call them somehow, play a part in the business as well.
We are going to make it easier for you, the reader, the only ones who don’t know, are you and us, the media (We are sure that journalists have connections and are involved as well, but nobody ever involved one of them)
Throughout our research, we have spoken to 2 ex referees who told us their business (they were the first ones to go public) and they even told us that they were corrupt themselves.
We also spoke to ex clubs directors or board members who told us of some of the things they did for the “benefit of their clubs” at the time they were serving.
We reviewed countless games where we were told of suspicious circumstances, and we only discarded 2 of those as inconclusive.
Some games didn’t even end up with the expected outcome due to unforeseen details by the perpetrators, but those involved still got their money.
We spoke to members of 2 clubs Barras Brava (name given to the violent sector of every club’s supporters) where they told us what role they have played to influence the way games can go.
We spoke to a legion of players and Managers involved on those countless games we have reviewed, and you know what? They are the only ones who deny playing any part in match fixing.
Introduction to the subject done; now all it rests is to publish our findings.
When the opening into a subject takes as long as this has done so far, it means there is lots to tell you about, and lots for you to take in.
So over the next few days, we will divide the findings in different areas: Referees, Clubs, Players and Managers, Federation, Barras Brava.
In total we will give you five more parts, for you to take in and understand the complexity of the operation and how many people benefit from it.
Before you ask us, there are many of this allegations already taking course through the justice, but justice in Argentina is slow and……corrupt, so it may take some time to hear from them.
Tomorrow will be our next blog. Please feel free to read, ask, debate, comment, but please with respect.
So until tomorrow it is.