Report: Under-21 qualifier under fixing investigation

Jun 13, 2010, 11:50 GMT

Hamburg - An under-21 Euro qualifier between Germany and San Marino from November 2009 is under match-fixing investigation, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported in its latest issue published late Saturday.

Der Spiegel said that betting ring leader Croatian Ante S. paid referee Igor Ishchenko a five-digit figure, allegedly 50,000 euros (60,000 dollars) according to a tapped phone conversation, to ensure that Germany won the match 'by six, seven or more goals.'

Germany won the match 11-0 on November 17, 2009.

Der Spiegel cited documents from an investigation into match fixing in several European countries conducted by prosecutors in Bochum, Germany.

The report said that Ishchenko was questioned by police two weeks after the game at Frankfurt airport. He has reportedly protested his innocence.

The German football federation DFB said on Sunday it could not comment because it had no information on the case. The lawyer of Ante S. declined to make a statement.

Ante S. failed to make money out the fixing as the betting office in London, where he wanted to place 70,000 euros for a big German win, did not accept the bet shortly before kickoff. Investigators believe he could have earned 120,000 euros.

Ante S. was the ring leader in a German fixing affair around referee Robert Hoyzer five years ago and sentenced to two years 11 months in prison. He was arrested again in November 2009 over the latest probe.