Handball WC: – Requires: – People you want to avoid
KRAKOW (Dagbladet): Danish TV 2’s disclosure that a total of eight pairs of referees, who judge the ongoing world championship, are linked to match-fixing in a report from Sportradar dropped like a bomb in the handball World Cup on Sunday.
According to the channel, the analysis company has registered 26 matches between September 2016 and November 2017, which they believe bear clear signs of match fixing. The report contains no concrete evidence of match-fixing, but a number of indications.
It is only referees, and no players, who are suspected in the report.
The analysis company is considered to be the world leader in discovering and investigating match-fixing in sports.
– A shock
The blacklist
The channel also reveals at The European Handball Federation (EHF) in 2018 was informed about betting companies must be blacklisted several referees due to suspicious patterns and suspected match-fixing in the matches they have refereed.
Macedonian top refereeing pair Gjorgji Nachevski and Slave Nikolov, who referee the men’s World Cup which is ongoing at the time of writing, are to be one of several refereeing pairs to be “blacklisted” by betting companies, according to the channel.
Danish TV 2 also indicates that the report claims that Nachevski has links to a named criminal network. According to Sportradar’s report, this is an organization which has previously been involved in match-fixing.
Match-fixing expert Declan Hill tells Danish TV 2 that it is a massive problem for handball if it turns out that the organization is close to referees.
– Any sports organization that wants to protect its credibility will put them on the list of people you want to avoid, says Hill TV 2.
The pair of judges have refused to comment on the charges to TV 2 Danmark. Gjorgji Nachevski has no objection to Dagbladet’s inquiry.
Races: – Terrible
Asking for departure
Viaplay’s handball expert Ole Erevik reacts strongly to what is in the report and appears on TV 2.
– That it is a connection that is grounded well enough to ask the question whether it is a pair of referees who will continue to referee matches in this year’s World Cup, says Erevik.
Nachevski’s father, Dragan Nachevski, is head referee in the EHF. Erevik believes the accusations against the son make it problematic for the father to sit around the table when referee decisions are made in the EHF.
He believes that the question should be asked whether Nachevski should resign from his position – or should be forced to resign. He believes you should not have a chief judge who can be linked to criminal networks that have previously been involved in match-fixing.
– I can’t see that the EHF or handball’s integrity and credibility are benefited by this, continues Erevik.
Dagbladet has sent questions to Dragan Nachevski about Erevik’s plans. He has not yet responded to our inquiry.
EHF responds
Dagbladet has asked the EHF if they want to respond to Erevik’s criticism. Communications manager Thomas Schöneid refers to a response EHF has sent out in a press release that the case has been sent to the Austrian police.
They have not favored the content that has come to light in Danish TV 2’s cases.
WC shock
– The referees are not suspended because neither the police nor the EHF have found good enough reasons for such a move, writes Schöneid.
At Monday’s press conference, the Norwegian squad was asked if they would be comfortable with the Macedonian pair of referees having to officiate a Norwegian game later in the World Cup.
Reacts: – Nonsense!
– Based on what you are saying now, if there are indications of that, it would be easier if it doesn’t happen. But we know too little about this, and must let others investigate it. It will also be an extra «spotlight» on these judges, so it will perhaps ensure that it does not happen here and now, answered Jonas Wille.
– I didn’t think it would have been cool to have them when you hear this, but I don’t know what these clues are, and we can’t do anything about it, answered Magnus Abelvik Rød, who himself played one of the matches in 2017 which is under suspicion.
– Harmful
Erevik is critical of the fact that EHF has known about the suspicions for several years, but without telling the public about it. Handball president Kåre Geir Lio confirmed to Dagbladet that they too were totally unaware of the report before the news broke.
He announced on Sunday to Dagbladet Norway’s Handball Association that there will be an explanation from the EHF.
When asked if he has confidence in the EHF, Erevik replies:
– It is clear that it is harmful to credibility. It may well be that the EHF believes they have done the right thing in reporting it to the relevant authorities. But they should have communicated this much earlier.
Play out shakes
He said the case is difficult and he believes it is difficult to draw conclusions based on the clips that have been released.
– There has to be proof. What is valid evidence? These are not the clips I have set. Then again you have to find money transactions between the criminal networks and the judges, as far as I am not known yet, concluded the former keeper.