Former Swedish Police Chief Alleges Premier League Match-Fixing Scandal

A former Swedish police detective who once led an international crime investigation unit, Fredrik Gardare, has alleged that crucial evidence of match-fixing by Premier League players was ignored by authorities. The explosive claim, stemming from a 2021 raid on an illegal casino, has raised serious questions for the English Football Association (FA) about the prevalence of corruption in the sport.

Gardare, who previously led a successful 18-month investigation that saw former Manchester City midfielder Dickson Etuhu banned from football for five years for attempted match-fixing, insists the new evidence is even clearer. During the casino raid, police seized multiple mobile phones, one of which reportedly contained extensive Telegram messages showing multiple Premier League players colluding with a criminal to fix matches. The alleged scheme involved placing bets on specific in-game events, such as yellow cards and corners.

Despite the clear evidence, the Stockholm and national Swedish police forces reportedly decided not to pursue the investigation further, leading Gardare to question why the case was shelved. He claims the phone remains in police custody and represents a significant opportunity to combat ongoing match-fixing. Gardare stated that he personally gave the information to the Swedish Football Association, hoping they would pass it on to the FA in England.

The Swedish FA’s integrity officer, Johan Claesson, confirmed that they had received general intelligence about the case in 2021 but stated that it lacked the specific details needed for them to take action due to the ongoing police investigation at the time. The Daily Mail reported that the English FA, Stockholm police, Swedish police authority, and Premier League have all been approached for comment on the matter.

Source: African Publicity