The Cheat Sheet is the Sports and Crime Briefing’s weekly guide to match fixing, illegal betting, corruption, safeguarding and criminal cases across sport. Organised by sport and country, it gives you the news, the background and links to the reporting behind each story.
Five stories to start with
Britain’s audit regulator begins enquiries into Manchester City’s accounts.
Greece’s basketball federation changes president after bribery arrests.
A banned coach’s return to children brings fines for Congolese football authorities.
A former Toronto Blue Jay and his wife face charges over undelivered youth training.
An Australian coroner seeks tighter betting controls after a young gambler’s death.
Manchester City
England | Manchester City’s accounts draw scrutiny from the audit regulator
Britain’s accounting watchdog is making preliminary enquiries into Manchester City’s accounts and the audits carried out by BDO, according to a letter published by Parliament on 20 October. The Financial Reporting Council is deciding whether there are grounds for a formal investigation after a Premier League commission found extensive financial-rule breaches at the club.
City is challenging those findings. The accounting regulator says the appeal does not prevent its own enquiries, which could also cover regulated accountants working at the club. Its powers have limits: City is not classed as a public interest entity, and the watchdog cannot compel information from such businesses or discipline directors who are outside the accountancy bodies it oversees.
England | Football regulator sets out how City’s owners could be forced to sell
David Kogan, chair of England’s Independent Football Regulator, said the watchdog could force Manchester City’s owners to sell if it concluded they had run the club improperly. In an interview released on 21 October by The Rest Is Football, he explained that the regulator could examine the conduct of individuals involved in the club after the appeal against its Premier League ruling.
Kogan said he would wait for the evidence and the appeal before deciding whether to open the regulator’s own investigation. City, owned through Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi investment vehicle, is contesting the commission’s findings.
England | Investigation traces City owner’s influence over Manchester’s housing
Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour’s influence extends into the city’s housing supply. A Guardian investigation on 25 October found that Manchester Life, the Sheikh’s partnership with the council, delivered 2,039 homes against a 6,000-home ambition, with none designated social or affordable housing.
The council sold prime land for £5 million and gave Abu Dhabi preferential access to further developments. Former council leader Richard Leese defended the partnership as necessary to restart stalled construction. The council rejects claims it sold the land too cheaply.
England | Land records map the scale of Mansour’s Manchester holdings
Companies linked to Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour account for two-thirds of the land held by Emirati-linked businesses in Greater Manchester, according to Guardian analysis published on 25 October. They hold at least 34 titles, including the Etihad Stadium.
Using Land Registry and Companies House records, the newspaper found that the wider group’s holdings grew from 73 to 101 hectares between 2016 and 2026. Most of that expansion came from other investors, including the Abu Dhabi government’s healthcare acquisitions.
Football
Brazil | Eight clubs given 45 days to pay or lose the right to register players
Brazil’s new financial watchdog notified eight clubs on 19 October that they must settle specified debts within 45 days or lose the right to register players. The group includes top-flight Grêmio, São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro and Internacional, alongside second-division Ceará, Fortaleza, Náutico and Ponte Preta.
The Brazilian football federation’s oversight agency, Anresf, checks what clubs owe to other teams, players, coaches and public authorities against their declarations and payment records. Its system treats debts incurred in 2026 more strictly than older liabilities, which remain in a transition period. São Paulo, for example, must settle a current-year debt to São José. Grêmio also faces a shorter deadline to pay a player, backed by a R$100,000 fine. The clubs have ten working days to appeal, but an appeal does not stop the payment clock.
Brazil | Judge rejects detention request against Corinthians vice president
A São Paulo judge rejected prosecutors’ request to detain Corinthians vice president Armando Mendonça on 22 October, finding insufficient evidence that he had interfered with a witness’s dismissal.
The dispute concerns Marcelo Munhoes, the club’s former technology director and a prosecution witness in a case over suspected irregularities involving Nike equipment. Prosecutor Cássio Conserino argued that sacking Munhoes before a November hearing could obstruct the proceedings. Judge Amanda Eiko Sato found no concrete evidence linking Mendonça to that decision or showing a threat to the evidence-gathering process, and placed the dismissal in the context of internal club politics. The case continues, with a hearing scheduled for 10 November.
Brazil | Betting companies keep shirt exposure through results brands
Palmeiras and Fluminense wore the names of sports results platforms in their Libertadores semi-final this week as their betting sponsors adapted to Brazil’s advertising restrictions. UOL documented the arrangement on 22 and 23 October: Palmeiras displayed Sportingblog, while Fluminense used Superscore, a brand also appearing on São Paulo’s shirts.
The platforms belong to betting groups, allowing those businesses to preserve a visible relationship with supporters through a different service. Brazil’s provisional measure bans communications that promote or facilitate access to fixed-odds betting, but does not specifically define how affiliated results and statistics businesses should be treated. The clubs’ new shirts therefore test the reach of the restriction. The original sponsorship relationships remain in place.
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Coach’s return to training children brings sanctions for federation and club
Fifa has extended Jonathan Bukabakwa’s ban to 2048 and fined the Congolese football federation and Racing Club Baki US$50,000 each for failing to enforce his suspension, in a ruling reported on 21 October. Bukabakwa had been barred from all football activity for 20 years in 2023 after a finding of sexual abuse of a minor.
He nevertheless returned to coaching young players at the Kinshasa club, previously called Esperanto. The additional punishment includes a US$15,000 fine for the coach and an order requiring the federation to educate clubs and officials about disciplinary decisions and monitor compliance. Bukabakwa has said he was not notified of the original ban and has denied the abuse allegations.
Ecuador | Player suspended and ground closed after stone attack on referee
Ecuador’s football federation has provisionally suspended Jhon Michel Perlaza Salas for 60 days after an attack with a stone on assistant referee Lenin Ojeda during a national promotion competition. The order was issued on 20 October, according to El Comercio’s account of the disciplinary proceedings.
The restrictions reach beyond the player. His club, Ciudad de Yantzaza, cannot stage home matches at its municipal stadium for two months while the federation examines the incident. The club is competing for promotion from Ecuador’s lower divisions but has lost access to its home ground during the decisive part of the competition.
South Africa | Safa agrees to pay the defence bills in its own funds case
The South African Football Association will pay the legal expenses of president Danny Jordaan and chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo as they defend charges concerning the use of association money. The decision, announced on 21 October, includes costs already accumulated in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court proceedings.
The case centres on roughly 1.3 million rand (73,000 USD) allegedly spent without authorisation, including private security and public relations services. Safa’s executive also approved lawyers to monitor the proceedings and a written statement disputing the allegations. It says the complaints came from former officials acting personally, rather than from the association, and points to its unqualified audits.
Spain | Atlético reviews former youth coach’s work after school abuse arrest
Atlético Madrid disclosed a review of former academy goalkeeping coach Mario F.’s work on 23 October, after his arrest over suspected sexual offences against children at a Madrid school. He worked with more than 200 youngsters at Atlético before leaving in 2020.
The club is questioning former supervisors and colleagues about possible warning signs. It says the conduct currently under police investigation occurred after his departure, outside the club. Police have asked Atlético to pass on relevant information while leaving the wider investigation to them.
Spain | Tebas referred to sports tribunal over Nazi propaganda comparison
Spain’s sports council referred LaLiga president Javier Tebas to the Administrative Sports Tribunal on 22 October over his comparison of Real Madrid TV’s methods with Nazi propaganda. The tribunal must assess whether the comments breach rules protecting sporting dignity.
Tebas had invoked Joseph Goebbels in an online post about the channel’s treatment of refereeing. He said he was comparing communication techniques, rather than ideology or supporters. Real Madrid demanded his resignation. Tebas accused the council of ignoring the club’s own attacks on the integrity of Spanish football.
Turkey | Betting inquiry brings bans for 147 club officials
Turkey’s football disciplinary board banned 147 current and former club officials for 45 days on 20 October for breaching betting rules. Trabzonspor president Ertuğrul Doğan was among those sanctioned.
The board considered 448 referrals involving officials from the top two divisions. It found insufficient grounds to punish the remaining 301. The bans prevent officials from performing football duties during the suspension. The findings concern betting while holding club positions.
American Football
United States | Players’ union seeks investigation into Jalen Hurts’s medical care
The NFL players’ union called on 20 October for a full investigation into the treatment of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts after he played in London having been diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg. Further tests later identified clots in his lungs.
The union said the league had previously told it there would be no review of his care. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell subsequently said the league welcomed the union’s request, while chief medical officer Allen Sills defended the examinations, imaging and decisions made by the Eagles and London specialists. Hurts’s agent and the team say he is stable and expected to recover, but cannot play contact football while taking blood thinners. The disagreement concerns the decisions that allowed him to play and travel before the later diagnosis.
United States | Broncos restore Cooper to roster while assault case awaits trial
The Denver Broncos activated Jonathon Cooper ahead of their 25 October game against Arizona after the pass rusher spent the season’s first six weeks on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list.
Cooper was arrested twice in June and faces several charges, including felony assault by strangulation. His trial is scheduled for March. Removing him from the exempt list allows a return to competition while the criminal proceedings remain unresolved.
Athletics
Australia | Sprint champion Jake Doran barred from training and club events
Australian Athletics disclosed a provisional ban on sprinter Jake Doran on 22 October after he was charged with indecent treatment of a child under 16. The restriction prevents him from attending club events or taking part in athletics training.
Doran, 26, is a former national champion who represented Australia at two world championships and reached the 100 metres semi-final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Police arrested him in Townsville the previous week following an investigation into conduct alleged between January 2025 and September 2026. He was granted bail and is due in Townsville Magistrates Court on 5 November. Australian Athletics says he holds no paid or unpaid role within the organisation; its action restricts his access to the sport while the case proceeds.
Baseball
Canada | Former Blue Jay and wife charged over undelivered youth training
Durham police announced fraud charges on 20 October against former Toronto Blue Jays player Richard Butler and his wife Michelle over money paid into the Ontario Devil Rays youth programme. Families had enrolled children for the 2025–26 season.
Investigators say roughly C$60,000 entered the programme’s account during 2025 before money was transferred to accounts associated with the couple. The promised training was not provided, police allege. Families later received an email saying the organisation was closing and claiming bankruptcy. Investigators found no insolvency proceedings and say a lawyer’s name had been used without permission. Both Butlers face charges of fraud over C$5,000, possession of property obtained by crime and using a forged document. Police are looking for other families who may have paid into the programme.
South Korea | Police receive 31 suspected postseason ticket-resale cases
South Korea’s sports ministry announced on 20 October that 31 suspected high-volume baseball ticket resellers had been referred to police. The referrals concern the postseason, when demand for seats rises as the remaining clubs compete for the title.
The Korea Sports Promotion Foundation analysed reports received between 13 and 19 October and selected sellers. The combined asking prices were about ₩730 million (550,000 USD). Officials are passing evidence to police during the competition, instead of waiting until the season ends. Online monitoring is being combined with checks around stadiums, and second-hand platforms are being asked to restrict suspicious listings more frequently.
Basketball
Greece | Federation changes president after bribery arrests
Greece’s basketball federation appointed Angelos Papanikolaou as president on 25 October after Vangelis Liolios stepped aside amid a bribery and match-manipulation investigation. Liolios had been arrested on 21 October alongside refereeing figures following an investigation by the Athens sports prosecutor.
The case concerns suspected payments and influence over games across several levels of Greek basketball. Those pursued include international referee Vaso Tsaroucha and former referees with roles in the system that appoints and evaluates officials. EuroLeague suspended Tsaroucha from its competitions while the authorities and league conduct their reviews.
Liolios denies the charges. Appearing before an investigating magistrate on 25 October, he argued that opponents wanted him removed and cited tax checks that had raised no objections.
United States | Beasley enters plea talks in NBA betting case
Malik Beasley is negotiating a plea agreement in his federal betting and bribery case, his lawyer said on 24 October. Prosecutors accuse the former NBA guard of manipulating his statistics in at least four games while playing for Milwaukee in 2023–24.
The alleged arrangement allowed associates to bet on his individual performance. Beasley previously pleaded not guilty after his June indictment. His lawyer said a decision on an agreement was expected early next week.
United States | Ole Miss accepted money from a booster it was ordered to exclude
The US college sports regulator, the NCAA, published an agreed settlement on 23 October covering prohibited recruiting contact and a failure by the University of Mississippi to enforce an earlier booster ban. Ole Miss accepted 18 contributions totalling US$109,240 from a supporter during a three-year period in which it was supposed to have cut financial ties with him. He also received premium seating.
The basketball finding concerned former assistant coach Wes Flanigan, who made 16 calls and sent 10 texts to the adviser of a player at another university before that player entered the transfer system. The player ultimately went elsewhere. Head coach Chris Beard received no penalty because he was unaware of the contacts and had promoted compliance. The settlement also records the university’s failure to monitor the booster restriction imposed in its 2017 case.
Boxing
Wales | Cordina acquittal clears obstacle to boxing return
Former world champion Joe Cordina was acquitted of assault at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 20 October, after a judge accepted that he had acted in self-defence during a petrol-station confrontation. The case had disrupted his boxing plans, with Bad Left Hook reporting that the charges prevented him securing a visa for a proposed title fight against Abdullah Mason.
Judge Charlotte Murphy found that Jamie O’Brien deliberately shoulder-barged Cordina and that the boxer’s single punch was a proportionate response. O’Brien had already pleaded guilty to assault. A second allegation against Cordina had earlier been dismissed for lack of a case to answer. After the verdict, Cordina’s lawyer said the boxer wanted to concentrate on his family and career, with a December return hoped for.
Swimming
India | Para swimmer sent home from Japan after hotel worker’s complaint
Indian para swimmer Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh was sent home from the Asian Para Games in Japan on 20 October after a hotel employee accused him of sexual misconduct. He left before competing in his scheduled events.
A senior Paralympic Committee of India official told the Times of India that Japanese police detained Shaikh after the complaint at the team hotel in Nagoya. According to that account, organisers intervened, the delegation supplied a written apology and Shaikh was released before leaving Japan. The official said the head of the Indian delegation had recommended a lifetime sporting ban.
Tennis
International | ATP expands online-abuse protection beyond the top-ranked players
The men’s tennis tour reported this week that its Safe Sport service had prevented more than 234,000 abusive comments from reaching players and fans, while expanding access to players across all ATP rankings. Previously, eligibility for the service was concentrated among the top 250 singles and top 50 doubles players.
The programme examined more than 3.7 million comments in its second year and identified over 284,000 as abusive. More than 82% were removed in real time. Software hides comments, while specialist investigators assess threats that may require further action. Over 1,800 comments were escalated for assessment and 690 automated threat alerts were raised.
Volleyball
Brazil | Two rulings remove Tifanny Abreu’s permission to play
Osasco volleyball player Tifanny Abreu was left unable to compete in Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV) women’s events after two rulings on 23 October. Volleyball’s sports tribunal unanimously rejected her challenge, while Rio de Janeiro’s state appeals court suspended the temporary order that had allowed her to play.
Abreu, a transgender woman who has played in the Superliga since 2017, is challenging eligibility rules introduced by the CBV in August. The policy uses screening for the SRY gene to determine eligibility for women’s competitions, with limited exceptions, and has excluded her from those events.
The state court’s decision concerned the requirement to complete the sports-justice process before seeking relief in the ordinary courts. Abreu’s lawyer said he would seek reconsideration and continue the challenge, with Osasco supporting her case. She had played in the Supercopa and the Superliga opener under the temporary order.
Pro Wrestling
United States | WWE ring-boys lawsuit survives challenge to revival law
A federal judge on 19 October rejected WWE and Vince and Linda McMahon’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit brought by eight former teenage ring-crew workers. They allege abuse by announcer Melvin Phillips and other officials in the 1980s and 1990s, and negligent hiring and retention by management.
Judge James Bredar upheld the Maryland law allowing the older claims to proceed. The civil case can now continue against the organisation and its former executives. The McMahons have denied knowing about the alleged abuse.
Across sport
Australia | Coroner seeks betting-advertising ban after young gambler’s death
A Victorian coroner called for restrictions on gambling advertising and inducements after finding that online gambling was the main and direct cause of Kyle Hudson’s suicide. The findings, reported on 20 October, examine how a young customer’s betting escalated across several operators.
Hudson opened a Sportsbet account on his 18th birthday and wagered about A$895,733 before his death in 2021, aged 22. His net losses were A$47,945. Coroner Paul Lawrie identified a monitoring gap: each bookmaker could see only the betting on its own platform. He recommended a national gambling data repository, consideration of an advertising ban and an end to bonus-bet inducements for young customers. Sportsbet said it would consider the findings and acknowledged that stronger customer protections were needed.
Greece | Teachers’ union refers school-sport admissions allegations to minister
Greece’s private-school teachers’ federation sent allegations of manipulated school sport and false attendance records to education minister Sofia Zacharaki on 23 October. The referral followed the basketball arrests, but concerns a separate reward for winning: extra points in university admissions.
Union president Giorgos Christopoulos said complaints concerned at least four private schools in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras. Talented young athletes were reportedly promised enrolment with little attendance, while some school teams were said to benefit from favourable treatment in competitions. Sporting success can improve students’ admissions scores, giving schools and families a reason to seek titles beyond the trophy itself. The union asked the ministry to act on the complaints and proposed changes to oversight.
Mexico | Lawmakers advance bill to criminalise competition manipulation
Mexico’s lower-house sports committee approved an anti-manipulation proposal on 21 October, moving it towards a vote by the full chamber.
The proposed offence covers offering, seeking, receiving or accepting a benefit in exchange for altering the course or result of a sporting competition, including through an intermediary. It would carry two to six years in prison and fines, with penalties potentially doubled for people working in or running sports institutions. The full chamber must now decide whether to pass the proposal.
United States | Utah seeks court order stopping Kalshi’s prediction markets
Utah announced a civil lawsuit against Kalshi on 20 October, seeking to stop the prediction-market operator from taking bets from state residents. Attorney general Derek Brown says contracts on sports and other outcomes violate Utah’s gambling prohibition and create an ongoing public nuisance.
The dispute turns on who can regulate the contracts. Kalshi argues that it operates a derivatives exchange under federal law. Utah says that status does not displace its gambling restrictions. A federal judge ruled for the state in August, and an appeals court subsequently refused to block enforcement while Kalshi’s appeal continues. The new state-court action seeks an order directly restraining the platform’s operations.
United States | Webull tells Connecticut customers to close sports contracts
Webull, an online investment platform offering stock and options trading, told Connecticut customers on 21 October to close their sports prediction-market positions by 11.59pm Eastern time on 31 October. It is withdrawing those products from the state, although its other brokerage services remain available.
Through a partnership with prediction-market exchange Kalshi, Webull lets customers buy and sell “yes” or “no” contracts on outcomes such as whether a team will win. The withdrawal follows September cease-and-desist orders from Connecticut’s consumer regulator to nine companies. The state considers their sports contracts unlicensed gambling; operators including Robinhood and Coinbase argue that federal derivatives regulation governs the products.