Netherlands 'not immune' from match fixing

Bribery in professional football is almost always associated with Southern or Eastern European countries. This is a misconception: experts say the Netherlands is not immune from match fixing. There’s no hard evidence but there’s a lot to suggest it goes on here. Politicians are calling for a large-scale inquiry.
There’s no evidence of bribery in Dutch soccer. That’s to say, none surfaced during recent parliamentary hearings on match fixing. Experts, however, say there is circumstantial evidence a-plenty. Dutch Labour MP Tjeerd van Dekken thinks that’s reason enough to launch a major inquiry. He points out that the Netherlands is the only European country which hasn’t had a probe into match fixing. MPs from across the party political spectrum also think it’s time to take action.
Illegal money
The authoritative Dutch football weekly Voetbal International (VI) says bribery networks have been uncovered in 12 of the 16 countries taking part in Euro 2012. How do we know that the same scams aren't going on in the Netherlands as well? Well-informed journalists on VI are convinced that match fixing and illegal payments are part of the Dutch soccer scene.
The tales circulating about Dutchman Paul R (last name withheld for privacy reasons) are worrying. He is a professional gambler said to be the lynchpin in a series of match-fixing incidents in Germany. The name of Dutchman Kris J also surfaced. He has been found guilty in Belgium of fixing matches there.
Millions to be made
Match fixing is, of course, all about money – and illegal gambling. You can make a lot of money by controlling the outcome of soccer games. The shady world of soccer gambling is, says VI, closely connected to the international drugs trade. Some of the millions of euros made in drugs turn up in the illegal gambling circuit. Research indicates that illicit gambling in the Netherlands is worth about 150 million euros a year. This is about three times the annual turnover of the Dutch Tote (de Toto), the country’s only legal bookmaker.
The developments are a major worry for the Dutch football association (KNVB). Gijs de Jong, its competition manager, told MPs during the recent hearings that the Netherlands urgently needed to be protected against international criminal organisations, which are attempting match fixing.
Jol affair
Gambling illegally on matches is one thing. You don’t need the help of players or referees for that. Match fixing is something totally different. Referees can make all kinds of dodgy decisions and players can cause a penalty, defend badly or even score an own goal to influence the outcome of a game. This involvement of the players and referee is also the very area that is so hard to police.
The Dick Jol affair of 1995 provides the best example of how difficult it is to prove anything. He was accused of betting on professional soccer games he himself was refereeing. The KNVB suspended him for a year and a half, but evidence of his wrongdoing was never found. The KNVB had to eat humble pie and Jol was exonerated.
Dutch MPs now hope that a thorough investigation will result in concrete evidence of criminal activity. Van Dekken says his fellow MPs are convinced that match fixing is the greatest threat to Dutch football. He’s calling on the justice minister to institute a far-reaching inquiry, which can lead to criminal prosecutions.
Odd man out
It’s strange that there seems to be no urgency about the question of match fixing in the Netherlands. MEP Emine Bozkurt writes in VI:
“The Council of Europe is busy working on a convention against match fixing, which should improve co-operation between countries. It’s actually the Netherlands which has the reputation of holding things back. We’re a serious soccer nation and should take the threat seriously. That’s why I hope MPs will insist on an inquiry so the seriousness of the matter can be made clear once and for all. It’s not as if the Netherlands is an island which will simply not be affected by match fixing.”
(mw/imm)