Match-Fixing Referee Gets Jail Time
Robert Hoyzer, the German referee who was convicted of accepting pay to affect the outcome of nine matches, was sentenced today - against the wishes of the prosecutor, who asked for a suspended sentence - to just under two and a half years in prison for his crime. Basically, he’s going to jail because Germany is about to hold the World Cup, and is desperate as hell to show the world that there’s no risk whatsoever of any corruption. Perish the thought. Because, you know, apart from that bastard Hoyzer, football is clean the world-over. Well, I mean, except for in Brazil, where fixed matches are currently being replayed. And in Italy, where payoffs and match fixings are practically a way of life in the lower divisions. Sadly, I’m sure money is changes hands elsewhere, too - after all, they start the final group games in major tournaments at the same time for a reason.
Getting rid of one corrupt official is a start, but giving him more jail time than anyone who paid him certainly isn’t going to stop these things from happening. If anything, it’ll embolden the groups who are doing the bribing - their risks are tiny compared to those of the officials, and they’ve certainly got the funds to pay referees the little bit more Hoyzer’s sentence is going to make it cost to buy a match. It seems as if hitting the money men with serious jail time is more likely to lead to long term change than imprisoning the corrupt officials - that and raising the salaries of those officials would at least be a start.
On a personal level, I’m a little worried about how Hoyzer will fare in lockup. For a criminal, the man is awfully pretty.
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POSTED IN: Past World Cups
2 opinions for Match-Fixing Referee Gets Jail Time
steve
May 23, 2007 at 7:26 pm
get me posted about happenings, match fixing is a crime that must stop. notorious italy should be banned in subsequent occassions
steve
May 23, 2007 at 7:32 pm
great season for man u
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