Fifa sec-gen concedes match-fixing concerns

[RIO DE JANEIRO] Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke has admitted concerns about match fixing in international football. In an interview with Brazilian television channel Sportv, he said that there was no way of knowing if games played during the World Cup had been manipulated.

"It exists and it's something that we are not going to eliminate 100 per cent," the governing body's World Cup chief said. "It happens at the highest level and at the lower levels. What we can do is control legal betting. We work with two companies that monitor this around the world. But it's very difficult to fight against what is done behind the scenes."

Mr Valcke's comments came after German magazine Der Spiegel claimed that the Group A match between Cameroon and Croatia on June 18 was fixed. The magazine alleged that Cameroon agreed with a betting ring before the match to lose 4-0. Days later, Fifa revealed that the clash between Cameroon and Brazil on June 23 was at risk of being rigged. Media reports said that alarm bells rang due to Cameroon's prior elimination from the tournament and reports of conflict within the Indomitable Lions' team. - Xinhua