MATCH-FIXING SCANDAL WIDENS

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More accusations and arrests have been made in the growing match-fixing scandal involving Belgian first-division clubs and players.

Excelsior Mouscron is the latest club facing questions. According to TV reports, there were unusual bets placed on the club’s games against Anderlecht and Ghent last September. Both games ended in defeat for Mouscron. Allegedly, EUR 250,000 was bet on Anderlecht’s 3-1 win and EUR 750,000 on Ghent’s 2-1 win.

“Let us be clear about this, we are the victims here,” Mouscron director, Francis D'Haes told Reuters. “There may have been a lot of betting but we were not aware of this. Yes, the result against Ghent at the time may have seemed a little strange but that's football.”

Earlier this season, Mouscron sacked coach Paul Put and two players after they admitted to fixing matches last year. Put said he did it because his family was threatened.

Five Belgian clubs are under investigation, including Lierse, La Louviere and St. Truiden. The investigation started after Betfair logged heavy betting for La Louviere’s 3-1 win over St. Truiden.

Six more individuals were arrested as part of the investigation last month, none of them players or football officials. Officials are looking into reports that the same group was involved in illegal betting activity in Finland and Germany.

“We are working with the German authorities and indeed Europol in general in relation to this,” Lieve Pellens, spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutor said.

Also arrested, and later released, was prominent player agent Pietro Alatta, although, the key suspect, Chinese businessman Ye Zheyun, was still at large.

"Pietro Alatta has been released but still faces the charges against him," a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor said.

Prosecutors said another agent has been charged with corruption but did not give his name.