The Cheat Sheet - March 20, 2025 - A Roundup of Sports, Gambling and Crime News
A new IOC chief, an age fraud scandal in Manchester, and the scale of gambling's takeover of football fully revealed - what a week. The Cheat Sheet walks you through it all.
The Cheat Sheet - March 20, 2025
The weekly briefing for developments in sports, gambling, and crime all around the world.
OLYMPICS
IOC - Mounting harassment allegations give Kirsty Coventry early challenge
A second allegation of harassment emerged against a close associate of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, just days before Kirsty Coventry was elected to succeed him. The victim reported a series of humiliations and abuses, which allegedly occurred on several occasions in professional contexts where the victim was expected to meet certain conditions in a potentially intimidating working environment.
FOOTBALL
EUROPE - Revealed: how gambling embedded itself into European football
Investigate Europe has revealed how deeply the gambling industry has embedded itself into European football, with approximately two-thirds of top-division clubs (296 out of 442) across 31 leagues securing partnerships with betting firms for the 2024/25 season. Notably, about one-third of these clubs feature gambling companies as their main shirt sponsors. The Premier League exemplifies this trend, where all clubs have some form of betting partnership, and 11 teams display gambling logos on their jerseys.
AUSTRALIA - AFL admits poor job in monitoring illegal gambling risks
The Australian Football League has admitted to significant shortcomings in its monitoring of online gambling activities, leading to increased integrity risks within the sport. Internal documents reveal the league's struggle to detect whether players, coaches, and staff are using confidential information to influence betting markets, in violation of their contracts. Instances highlighting these deficiencies include an umpire providing pre-game outcomes and a player leaking position changes.
BRAZIL - Top coach fined for failing to report match-fixing scheme
Former Palmeiras and Botafogo coach Estevam Soares has been fined R$20,000 by the Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) for not reporting a match-fixing scheme during the 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D. The investigation focused on a June 1, 2024, match between Inter de Limeira and Patrocinense, which Inter de Limeira won 3-0. Sportradar, a company specializing in sports integrity, provided "clear and indisputable evidence" of match manipulation for illicit financial gain.
BURUNDI - Seven players and coached banned for illegal gambling links
The Burundi Football Federation has banned seven top-division players and a coach for five years, each fined 10 million Burundian francs (€3,095), after an investigation into match-fixing. The sanctioned individuals, mainly from Deira Academy and Inter Star, were found to have collaborated with international betting syndicates to manipulate match results on platforms like 1XBet.
FRANCE - En Avant Guingamp U19 women's coach suspended for illegal sports betting
Mathys Hébert, coach of En Avant Guingamp's U19 women's team, has been suspended for four matches due to illegal sports betting activities. He was one of 39 players and coaches found guilty of placing bets by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP).
HONG KONG - Football Club Owner and Three Others Charged in Match-Fixing Scandal
Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has charged four individuals, including a football club owner, in connection with a match-fixing scandal involving the Fu Moon Athletic Association during the 2021–2022 season. The accused are Lo Hong-ming, owner, coach, and player of Fu Moon, an illegal bookmaker, a midfielder for Fu Moon, and a former player and illegal betting agent.
IRAN - Shahrdari Astara football club relegated for match-fixing
Iranian football authorities has found Shahrdari Astara guilty of match-fixing, resulting in the team's relegation to Division B. The investigation followed a 7-1 loss to Palayesh Naft, during which Shahrdari Astara players allegedly made no effort to prevent goals. Head coach Ghasem Dehnavi has been banned for one year.
NORTH MACEDONIA - UEFA reveals persons and Clubs suspected of match-fixing
The new president of the Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM), disclosed that UEFA's Integrity Department has provided the FFM with a list of individuals and clubs suspected of involvement in match-fixing activities. The list pertains to matches from the 2023/2024 season and earlier, encompassing domestic league games, the Macedonian Cup, and even friendly matches.
RWANDA - Muhazi United suspends coach amid match-fixing suspicions
Muhazi United has suspended assistant coach Jean Baptiste 'Miggy' Mugiraneza following allegations of attempted match-fixing. A leaked recording suggests Mugiraneza sought to influence Musanze FC defender Shafiq Bakaki to deliberately lose a match against Kiyovu in exchange for a future position at Kiyovu. Bakaki refused, citing his Islamic faith during Ramadan, and subsequently scored in Musanze's 3-0 victory over Kiyovu.
SPAIN - Gerard Piqué testifies amid Supercopa de España relocation scandal
Former FC Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué testified before a Spanish court regarding allegations of irregularities in relocating the Supercopa de España to Saudi Arabia. His company, Kosmos, reportedly received €40 million in commissions over the contract's duration. Piqué presented 15 invoices totaling €12 million to substantiate the legality of these payments. He denied any payments to officials of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and asserted that he represented Saudi interests, not the RFEF, thereby avoiding conflicts of interest.
UK - Manchester United and Manchester City academies under investigation for alleged age fraud
Both Manchester United and Manchester City are under scrutiny following allegations that six foreign-born academy players may have falsified their ages, potentially being older than officially stated. Photographic evidence suggests these players competed in older age groups in their home countries before joining the English clubs. Notably, three of the implicated players have represented England at youth international levels. While neither club is accused of knowingly participating in the fraud, concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of their age verification processes.
UK - Lucas Paquetá's spot-fixing trial on amid career-threatening allegations
The disciplinary hearing for West Ham and Brazil player Lucas Paquetá has begun, as he stands accused of spot-fixing allegations, namely by deliberately earning yellow cards in four Premier League matches (2022–23). The FA claims around 60 bets were placed on his bookings, some linked to his family in Brazil. Paquetá denies wrongdoing, but a guilty verdict could mean a lifetime ban. His £80m move to Manchester City collapsed due to the case. He has withdrawn from Brazil’s national team to focus on his defense.
CRICKET
BANGLADESH - Bangladesh Cricket Board's match-fixing probe requires more time
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced that its investigation into alleged match-fixing during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will require additional time to conclude. The probe, initiated after suspicious activities were reported in several matches, involves interviews with players, coaches, and officials associated with the tournament.
PAKISTAN - Former cricketer reveals origin of match-fixing in 1990s
Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has publicly addressed the prevalence of match-fixing within Pakistan cricket during the 1990s. In a recent podcast, Hafeez asserted that corrupt practices began in that era, well before the notorious 2010 spot-fixing scandal involving players like Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Amir. He criticized the internal team culture of the 1990s, citing issues such as internal conflicts, grouping, and match-fixing, which he believes have had a lasting negative impact on Pakistan cricket.
DARTS
UK - English player banned for match-fixing and betting infractions
Professional darts player Prakash Jiwa has been banned for eight years by the Darts Regulation Authority after being found guilty of match-fixing and betting on matches during the 2023 Modus Super Series. The 54-year-old competed in the 2023 PDC World Championship.
ESPORTS
UKRAINE - Counter-Strike pro banned for match-fixing
Ilya “Ganginho” Chernychenko, a 23-year-old Ukrainian Counter-Strike player, has been banned for three years by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) for match-fixing and betting violations. An investigation found he placed bets on 390 CS:GO matches, including games involving his own team, netting $20,000 in winnings. He also failed to report corruption attempts. Banned until late 2027, Chernychenko is barred from all ESIC-member events.
GAMBLING
BRAZIL - Government proposes stricter betting regulations to combat match-fixing
In response to recent match-fixing scandals, the Brazilian government is considering new measures to regulate sports betting and safeguard sporting integrity. These included harsher prison sentencing for match-fixers, having a public list of individuals convicted of the crime, and even limiting betting on isolated events to reduce opportunities for manipulation.
SKI JUMPING
NORWAY - Coach and five athletes suspended in ski suit modification scandal
Norwegian ski jumping faces a major scandal as multiple athletes and staff members have been provisionally suspended for allegedly using illegally modified ski suits at the 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim. Coach Magnus Brevig, equipment manager Adrian Livelten, and two other staff members were the first to be suspended, followed by Olympic gold medalist Marius Lindvik, Johann André Forfang, Robin Pedersen, Kristoffer Sundal, and Robert Johansson.
TABLE TENNIS
FRANCE - Para table tennis player found guilty of intentional misrepresentation
On March 10, 2025, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced that French para table tennis athlete Fabien Herrault was found guilty of intentional misrepresentation regarding his classification. As a result, Herrault has been disqualified from all competitions he participated in from September 10, 2018, to September 2, 2023.
UK - Four table tennis England players suspended for match-fixing
Four members of Table Tennis England—Luke Savill, Darius Knight, Joseph Langham-Ferreira, and Kazeem Adeleke—have been suspended following a complex international investigation into match-fixing and unusual betting activity. The Gambling Commission's Sports Betting Intelligence Unit identified suspicious betting patterns on matches held in Ukraine, linked to British betting accounts.
TENNIS
USA - PTPA files antitrust lawsuit against major tennis organizations
The Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA), co-founded by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, has initiated legal action against the ATP, WTA, ITF, and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), alleging anti-competitive practices and systemic abuse. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. federal court, characterizes these governing bodies as a "cartel" exerting complete control over players' earnings and working conditions. The PTPA claims this structure suppresses player compensation, enforces restrictive scheduling, and limits opportunities for external income.
RUSSIA - Two players suspended for match-fixing violations
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has sanctioned two players for breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) in 2023. Anna Lytneva, a 22-year-old Russian player with a career-high ITF singles ranking of 1377, was charged with multiple offenses, including match-fixing and soliciting other players not to use their best efforts. Joshua Muhire, a 22-year-old Rwandan player, was found guilty of facilitating betting and match-fixing during a September 2023 match.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE READING
A History of Material Manipulation in Sports - Der Spiegel
Global women’s seven-a-side football series launched with $100m investment - The Guardian