UEFA employees receive death threats over match-fixing investigation
The body has been examining suspicious betting patterns involving Albanian club Skenderbeu Korce, who were banned from European competition for the 2016-17 season as a result of the probe.
UEFA's Betting Fraud Detection System (BFDS) has now uncovered "a far greater pattern of involvement" in alleged match-fixing at Skenderbeu, with the club set to receive a longer European suspension.
And in an extraordinary statement released on Friday, UEFA confirmed staff members on the Skenderbeu case have been the subject of death threats.
"Today, UEFA disciplinary inspectors working on this case have received anonymous death threats, presumably intended to intimidate them and stop them from carrying out their work," UEFA said. “These threats will not succeed and the police have also been informed. UEFA remains fully committed to the fight against match fixing and all UEFA staff working on these crucial matters can count on the full support of the organisation."
Skenderbeu's Champions League play-off against Dinamo Zagreb in 2015 is central to the investigation, with the Albanian side losing 4-1 against the Croatian outfit, who were down to 10 men.