Match-fixing has good odds in German lower leagues

American newspaper, the New York Times went to Germany to take a closer look at the state of German football in the lower leagues.

Katrin Bennhold, journalist with the New York Times went to the nest of the match-fixing investigation in Germany. The result is two articles describing the culture in the lower leagues and its vulnerability to match-fixing, like in the German fourth-division club ULM where three players were fired for rigging matches.

“Their calculation was: Get paid well to lose or get paid poorly to win,” an official explained to the New York Times.

Read the article here:In Germany’s Lowly Leagues, a Soccer Culture Ripe for Bribery  (extern link)

According to Bennhold's reports, gambling by players also pose a threat to the credibility of football. A player who confesses to have tried to rig the outcome of one of the matches under investigation by the German authorities tells his story on how gambling debts let him to strike a deal..

Read the article here:Gambling by Players Poses a Risk to Soccer(extern link)