Former footballer Moses Swaibu has claimed at least five Premier League players have been “approached by match-fixers outside training grounds”.
Swaibu has revealed he has been told about match-fixers approaching Premier League players while working with the FA and the Premier League to help educate young players. The former footballer, who enjoyed spells with Bromley and Lincoln City during his playing career, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery after an investigation into match-fixing in 2015 but has gone on to work with football authorities in a bid to turn his life around.
Players have also spoken to Swaibu about issues surrounding betting in football. High-profile stars such as Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali and Brentford striker Ivan Toneyhave recently been hit with lengthy bans after being found guilty of breaching betting rules.
Swaibu told The Telegraph: “Players, actually turning me around on a few occasions and said, ‘I’ve been approached by match fixers outside my training ground’, or ‘I’ve gone out where players do in London…go to the casinos and they’re like, yeah, this Asian person’s approached me.”
The former footballer also revealed players have been left confused by rules on betting, adding: “The players told me they gamble. They say, ‘I gamble because we’re sponsored by a gambling company, so why can’t I do it?’”
The Football Association issued a statement in response to The Telegraph’s report: “The integrity of English football, across all levels of the game, is of paramount importance. Gambling on football by professional players is strictly prohibited, and each season we deliver bespoke education to all professional clubs and players with key information and advice on the risks of betting and match-fixing in football. We also encourage all football participants to report any potential breaches of our Rules and Regulations to us directly.”
Swaibu is now using his experience to try and help young stars avoid becoming involved in illegal betting. He is set to reveal how he became embroiled in match-fixing in an upcoming new podcast titled ‘Confessions of a Match Fixer’.
