Written by Branko “King Bronk” Tomasovic
In light of the recent semi-final draw of the Champions league, allegations of impropriety in the conduct of this and past draws have been made by former UEFA soccer referee, turned Turkish media pundit, Ahmet Çakar. In an astounding demonstration on live Turkish television, Ahmet Çakar replicated both the Champions League and Europa League draws on live television to the amazement of all. “UEFA manipulated the draw for both the Champions League and Europa League,” Çakar said on Turkish station Beyaz TV. His theory is that the big soccer club teams are purposely kept apart until the later parts of the tournament, in order to create match-ups which will generate greater fan interest and television viewership. He further went on to claim that UEFA secretary Gianni Infantino was secretly operating a lever which would cause certain balls in the pot to emit vibrations, which the person drawing the balls would sense, in order to select the appropriate ball for the draw.
What lends some credence to his claim is the fact that the Daily Mail reported that the round of sixteen Champions League draw was replicated a day before the actual draw in the rehearsal. The odds of that was estimated 2,000,000 to 1. As one can see, the odds of replicating a draw like this is practically impossible; unless perhaps Ahmet Cakar’s theory is valid.
If UEFA is manipulating the Champions League draw, is it possible that other draws have been manipulated in a similar manner? For instance, have past World Cup and Euro Cup draws been manipulated in both the qualifying and tournament phases? Are bigger teams placed in easier groups in order to qualify and advance further in these tournaments, thus generating greater fan interest and television viewership, at the cost of smaller countries like Croatia? Was Croatia’s draw of England in both the Euro and World Cup qualifying phase from 2008-2010 simply bad luck or were other forces at work? Did Croatia draw England in 2010 to generate a revenge storyline since Croatia eliminated England from Euro 2008? Was Croatia’s draw of Serbia in this year’s World Cup qualifying a coincidence or was it done once again to generate a Balkans War storyline to boost television ratings?
What’s going on here?
It is interesting to consider whether what we are watching is really sports or sports entertainment. Are these draws really the luck of the draw or do FIFA and UEFA make their own luck? Former UEFA referee Ahmet Cakar clearly believes the latter. What do you think?
Footnotes:
Yahoo.com, Provenquality.com, DailyMail.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/sports/soccer/investigation-finds-suspected-fixing-in-680-soccer-matches.html?_r=0
Read up boys and girls…Unless you have a storyline or a few superstar players aka Messi or Ronaldo to create the storyline life will be difficult in these tournaments.
To quote the greatest sports entertainer of all time the Hulkster:
“Whatcha gonna do Croatia Sports when the tv networks and refs eliminate you.”
The draw is absolutely rigged… Watch the videos
above to see how that is done. Not every game is rigged. I never claimed that, however with regards to the draw there have to be decent match ups for Tvrtkovic every round. Some bigger clubs get sacrificed along the way…AC Milan no stars same with MU. Ronoldo and Messi need to progress for tv viewership.
If you don’t believe matches are fixed on a large scale take a look at seria a. At the time it was the best domestic league in the world but the entire league was rigged for years. Read the New York Times article that states over 600 games have been fixed that they can prove. Face facts what you are watching is sports entertainment.
@ King Bronk –
so the fix is in …. but to make it seem more realistic, let’s through 4 of the best teams together in the round of 16 so people think the fix isn’t in.
LOL – isn’t the draw was random a much more plausible explanation. I didn’t hear Galatasary complaining when they drew Schalke in the round of 16 – where was the fix for that one?
As for Barca being the best club in the last 30 years that’s debatable. Last 5 years sure with a little help of course.
Don’t forget the powerful AC Milan teams won 5 Champs. Then there’s Real Madrid, they had a good run with the Galacticos…Won 3 Champs in a short spain in the 90s. Finally there is Liverpool in the 80s won 4 Champs in 8 years. Might have won more but were banned from Europe. No doubt they are a talented team…Best in the last 30 years very debatable.
No one is doubting the talent of Barcalona…However it can not be denied either that some favorable officiating helped them achieve a fair bit of their European success.
Examples:
2012-13 Messi offside goal vs AC Milan avoided elimination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QW5mfEgBXI
2011-12 vs Chelsea Red Card and PK: However Messi missed (Somehow Barca didn’t capitalize) Chelsea Cinderella story? Pay Back for the 2009 Screw Job? However it wasn’t for a lack of effort by the officials.
Barca vs AC Milan PK awarded before a corner kick was taken..turns the tie
2010-11 Red Card Real Madrid Pepe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xubvc7ao1HE
2010-11 Red Card Van Persie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmIndqFNkao
2009-10 Red Card Thiago Motta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIN7m_txh3M
2008-09 The Chelsea Screw Job
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhiURESngAM
UEFALONA?????? Maybe it also has something to do wuth Barca being the best club team in the world in the last 20 or 30 years.
Poglavnik… If the draw is rigged… Then yes our team is involved. Now if you start looking at the shady officiating aka Spain vs Croatia to give a recent example and the questionable ‘mistakes’ by some our players aka Stjepan Tomas inexplicable trying to play volleyball against Australia in 2006 then one has to conclude that the fix is in to a certain degree at every tournament. No one is saying every game is rigged but certain ones obviously are to push story lines and generate tv viewership. On a side note pay attention to see how we’ll the Boston Sports teams play after the Boston Bombing.
The reason Real was drawn with MU in the round of 16 is because there always has to be a few sexy match ups for TV ratings in every round. Ronaldo vs his Ex Team… Barca vs AC Milan is a good match up that draws interest but doesn’t endanger UEFALONA and Messi from progressing to the later rounds.
The storyline of this champions league seems to be the Decima so I like Madrid.
Holy conspiracy theories!
I’m naturally pretty sceptical but this is a bit much.
It definitely exists but Id be seriously surprised if every tournament we’ve played in, our team was involved.
These fix allegations are always fun.
How does one explain Man U and Real Madrid in the round of 16? Wouldn’t UEFA want them in the semi-finals or finals? Same for AC Milan – Barca. That sounds like a final or semi-final to me.
You guys and your conspiracy theories.
@KING BRONK
Excellent article and posts!
The fix worked against us at Euro 96 against Germany.
In WC 2002 when we took the dive against Ecuador to let Italy through. WC2006 against Australia where Stjepan Tomas literally handed them the game. 2008 Eduardo breaking his leg which appeared very deliberate although we still did well.
This last EC the fix was in against Spain aka UEFALONA.
Story-lines are every bit as important as tactics and team play.
Generally superstar players and international events provide the story-lines, FIFA and UEFA do the rest.
I think Jose Mourinho has this figured out which is why he creates story-lines to keep himself and his teams relevant even where there are none.
I think this plays a large roll in his success over the years not just his tactics and team pep talks.
There are times Croatia benefited from the fix and 98 is a prime example. The Balkan War storyline was pushed to the hilt. Little war torn country overcoming the odds. We had an easy group that year and a superstar player in Suker. The refs helped us with Romania and Germany to get us to the semis. Seems we jobbed to home town favorites France. The Holland game was the consolation prize, Cro were outplayed for most of that game but still won bronze and Suker took the golden boot.
Since 98 Cro hasn’t had a superstar player like Suker and the war was over thus there weren’t any prevailing storyline to push Croatia. Which is probably why Cro has generally performed poorly at these tournaments.
Slaven Bilic being the rock star coach was the last big storyline from Cro that I can think of that grabbed national headlines. Was it a coincidence that we KOed England and almost got to the semis of the Euro?
Recently the national headlines with regards to Cro have been negative with racism charges in the Balotelli affair. Platini admonished our team during the tournament and I don’t think it was a coincidence that we couldn’t get a call from the refs against Spain.
Euro 1996 the ref was against us Germany Croatia i remember watching on my old tv.
1998 was not fixed come on man that was bad tactics and Ciro arguring with zuti. why would the ref give Blanc a red if he was for france.
The refs were good to croatia 1998 WC not going to complain.
we were lucky not be down 2-0 against Germany by the time that red card took place.
From what I remember Romania might have been our best game. We were all over them. People might think Germany was our most dominating game by looking at the scoreline but before Worns got red-carded they were all over us and Ladic made some incredible saves.
That Romania game was a well deserved win from the next up and coming Eastern European powerhouse over a generation of Romanian’s that were very good in the 8 years prior to WC ’98.
I’m not saying he didn’t play a great tourney, he did. But, that was a BS call he got against Romania.
So, for those who want to say the fix was in against France. Fine. I’ll argue the fix was in against Romania.
So, lets say the game was fixed against France. Does that mean Boban and Asanovic were in on it. Has to be, because they made the mistakes that lead to the Thuram goals. While we are at it, our wins against England in Euro 2008 qulaifying are bogus as well. The goal keepers from England were in on it. How else do you explain the goals we scored in Maksimir (the ball rolling over his foot on a swing and a miss; Da Silva’s looping header that was in the air for ever) and Kranjcar’s first goal in Wembley.
Remember, its more likely that any fixed matches on the international level would have favored us based on the people (hrvati) who have been arrested for match fixing.
So, if you want to throw around crazy conspiracy ideas, I can shoot them right back at you that benefited Hrvatska.
To me, Asanovic was the player of the tournament for Cro in 98. Every goal was scored with him touching the ball.
@ziva, if you didn’t say anything about the Asanovic penalty the guys from cro sport would have to ball sack you!
Lilian Thurman has never scored for his national french side those two goals against Croatia were his first two ever i think correct me if i am wrong.
@Ziva Istina
The Romania game in 98 seems more fixed than the France semifinal?
Lilian Thuram, a pure stay home defender, who played 142 games for his national team of France, managed to score a grand total of two goals for his country. Both goals coming in the semifinal against us in 98. On that stat alone it has anything beat from the Romania game. Krpan was a piece of shit and the Asonovic call, although definitely in our favor, was not the worse PK call to be witnessed. There has been many more that were over the top and worse than that call.
The Thuram stat however does not bold well for legitimacy.
well, if we want to go that route, lets stay with 1998 and the 2nd round game against Romania in the WC. Krpan misses what cant be missed and we get the benefit of a BS PK call for us as Asanovic falls to the ground. THat game appeared more fixed than the France game.
To add to my comments above…have any of you really thought about France 1998? Croatia was up 1-0 thanks to Davor, and both of France’s second half goals were scored by Thuram through weak defensive plays (aka assists) right outside our goalie box, first by I believe Boban and second by Jarni (confirm the players)…we may have been bought out ourselves…France winning was the fairy tale ending to the 1998 World Cup…
Guys if match fixing scandals have been outed around the world, why wouldn’t anyone believe that the group draws aren’t fixed as well? However for those of you who have seen the movie Training Day, Denzel Washington says it best, “its not what you know, but what you can prove”
I’ve always been an underdog guy unless your team is playing. I wouldv’e rooted hard for Malaga if Mandzukic and Modric weren’t in the quarters.
Who doesn’t love a good Cinderella story. That’s why the NCAA tourney is so great…
If the draws are fixed….the games are fixed…like the new York times suggests….http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/sports/soccer/investigation-finds-suspected-fixing-in-680-soccer-matches.html?_r=0
Is there anything real going on here?
Are we watching sports or WWE type of sports entertainment.
The draws are very important….take a look when Italy won the WC…they didn’t play a real opponent until the semis.
Fixing draws and being put into a group of death can cut any countries tournament short. As Holland and Croatia found out.
If Croatia was in group A @ the Euros instead of group C…you could have seen Croatia possibly in the semis instead of not getting through the group stage.
No one wants to see Malaga in the Champions league….small market team….Ever think no one (besides us)wants to see Croatia go far in tournaments for the same reason?
I’m with Ivica..
Rank the teams by coefficient just like they do for the group stage. Why go away from that later in the tournament?
I don’t think the problem is that they are fixing draws, I think the problem is that they’re fixing draws, many games across Europe have been proven to be fixed and certain teams like Barcelona get extra help from refs.
Meh. I think the Round of 16 should be seeded and gone into a bracket.
I like how they seed the playoff round in the Euros and World Cup qualifiers. They should do the same for Champions League.
Nobody wants to see a lower ranked team get a “bye” simply because they were lucky to draw another lower ranked team. in the first knockout round. If you want to progress, you need to top a big dog team. You deserve your spot after that.
I’m with Miro! I am tired of all those big teams. I still like the American salary cap system.
Of course the draws are fixed. Whenever and wherever huge sums of money are involved ‘chance’ and ‘luck’ are conveniently absent. Think about it Eduardo almost lead Croatia to a European championship final but suffered a horrific injury prior to the tournament. Fast forward a half year or so later and England get drawn with Croatian again this time luck would have it without Eduardo in the Croatia lineup. England go on to thrash Croatia 9-2 across the two ties and progress to the World Cup. If you don’t think the Eduardo injury and England/Croatia subsequently getting drawn together twice were sanctioned by higher powers you must think this world is all lollypops and sugarplums.
Well done King Bronk!
I suspected the draws to be fixed years ago. The Euro playoff draw has been fixed the past half dozen qualifying rounds. UEFA uses a different system depending on the teams involved to make sure that the big countries get a favorable draw.
I heard stories that the balls would be hot or cold and are easily identified.
People! Read: The Fixx.
.
Hey uefa and Fifa its called a machine like the lotto is done i know that can be rigged too so coruption is what makes the world go round as Hdz and Sdp.
i want to see gala and malaga why not by that logic who wants to se croatia in a semi final of something anyone?
Malaga I can agree with, but I couldn’t say that about the Turks. Have you seen Galatassary’s roster? Drogba and Snijder are just some of the big names there.
Here’s the full roster:
http://eurorivals.net/squad/galatasaray.html
Their fans are absolutely nuts too. I think they would be a great team to watch not just because of their players, but because of the atmosphere at their home stadium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyU1bE2ZAa4
http://gol.dnevnik.hr/clanak/svjetski_nogomet/navijaci-lazija-platiniju-nas-kaznjavas-a-dinamo-nisi—282810.html
Dont even care…Who wants to see Galatasary or Malaga in the semis or finals? Unless of course they knock off a big name.
@Poglavnik:
I agree for the most part.
I almost don’t even care about manipulating the draw. At least it assures some good match-ups. Cracking down on the games being thrown on the field is the priority for me.