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Football is the most popular sport in the world, and the biggest tournaments such as the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, La Liga, European or World Championships attract millions, and sometimes even billions of sports fans to their TV screens. It is obvious that football fans are fascinated by this sport because of the intense battles, emotions, and unexpected results that bring even more charm to various tournaments. Unfortunately, sometimes unexpected results are not necessarily influenced by the success or dedication of a weaker team, but by external "forces" that in unacceptable ways influence the results and outcomes of football matches. Obviously, we are talking about fixed football matches, which affect not only teams, players, or fans but also the best betting companies in Lithuania as well as those mentioned here, which become victims of such matches, just like an ordinary football lover. In the past, this problem in football was not as acute or at least not so strongly manifested. Much has changed since betting became possible without leaving home. Online betting companies in Lithuania and around the world have become a great tool not only for people who want to add more excitement to watching matches but also for those who want to make money illegally from the same matches. Fixed football matches are a significant problem worldwide. Of course, in some countries, the scale of these problems is much larger, but even football countries like Italy or Spain face them. It is obvious that this is unavoidable in Lithuania as well, so let's try to review the biggest scandals caused by fixed football matches.
Player disqualification at Sheffield Wednesday - Great Britain is considered the birthplace of football, and in this country, you probably won't find a person with whom you cannot discuss football. Yet even here, fixed football matches occur, and one of the biggest scandals was recorded in the seventies. In 1964, a network of fixed football matches was revealed in England, led by Jimmy Gauldas. The group illegally influenced football matches of various levels in the country, including the highest football league. One of the most famous clubs in this history was the Sheffield Wednesday club, whose two players were disqualified for life when it was revealed that they were betting against their own team. This the biggest betting scandal in Great Britain, despite the fact that at that time, no one even dreamed of online betting platforms.
Betting scandal in Portugal - If you asked an average football fan in Lithuania what they knew about Portuguese football, the first club mentioned would probably be "Porto." This club is not only a frequent participant in the UEFA Champions League but even won the tournament in 2004, and Lithuanian Edgaras Jankauskas was also in the team back then. However, the golden period of the club in 2004 is not the only thing written in the history of the club. In the same year, the Portuguese police started an investigation into a widespread network of fixed football matches. As stated, a large part of the country's clubs and their presidents were involved in the fixed matches, and the investigation also mentioned the then-president of "Porto," Apito Dourado.
Referee career ended in jail - It should not be forgotten that referees also have a huge influence on the results of football matches. Their decisions can fundamentally determine how matches end, and sometimes, this influence leads some referees astray, and they decide to make extra money by making bets in various betting companies. In 2005, a huge scandal erupted in Germany, where one referee, Robert Hoyzer, was suspected of exerting illegal influence on the outcomes of matches and thus making money from bets. After a long investigation, the referee finally admitted that he was indeed cooperating with an illegal betting network in Croatia and influencing matches in order to illegally influence their endings.
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