A report from Dutch newspaper De Volskrant has found that two Willem II matches during the 2009/10 season were influenced by a Asian gambling syndicate.

  • By Michael Bell
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kargboResearch from De Volskrant has found that a syndicate from Singapore paid a few Willem II players a sum of €100,000 per match to lose by an arranged goal difference.

The matches named were the 4-0 loss to Ajax on October 17th 2009 and the 1-0 defeat to Feyenoord on December 19th 2009. The game against Ajax went to plan, but the influenced players were supposed to lose the Feyenoord match by two or more goals.

According to De Volskrant the main player behind the plot was Sierra Leone international Ibrahim Kargbo, now 32, who tried to get his fellow teammates involved in the deal. The newspaper bases these claims on interviews with three match fixers who all named Kargbo and Willem II. They also know the identity of one of the other players who was involved, but did not name him due to lack of real evidence.

The KNVB released a statement on the claims saying “In the opinion of the KNVB this is the most concrete match fixing case ever in the Netherlands” The Dutch FA have reported the incident to the Public prosecutor and a criminal investigation will be launched, while the KNVB have also contacted UEFA and FIFA as they look to get to the bottom of the claims.

After Vitesse’s 1-0 defeat to PSV on Saturday, former Willem II defender Jan-Arie van der Heijden, who played in the two matches named, stated he knew nothing about the claims.

Van der Heijden told Fox Sports, “Sorry i really know nothing about it.”

“At Ajax we lost 4-0. No shame against a team with players like Suarez, Vertonghen, Alderweireld and De Zeeuw. At Feyenoord we went down 1-0, according to the story I read we actually had to lose 2-0 to the Asians. I think everyone had given 100 percent. I have certainly seen no suitcases with money going through the locker room. ”

“Anyone who knows me, knows that I am absolutely not a man who would engage with it.”

On Kargbo, Van der Heijden added, “A boy who could tackle very hard, he was always leading the fight. I know not much of him, I talked little to him. I do not even know if he spoke English.”




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