Hector Cuper involved in matchfixing with Camorra in Spain and Argentina

by BarrileteCosmico Thu Jan 19, 2012 11:29 pm

Hector Cuper has admitted accepting €200,000 from two affiliates of the Camorra, but denied that the money was related to match-fixing.

The experienced coach has been accused of agreeing to influence the outcome of a total of four games, two in Spain and two in his native Argentina.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, prosecutors investigating global betting syndicates allege that two suspected associates of the Naples-based Mafia flew to Spain to meet with Cuper while he was still in charge of Racing Santander.

It is claimed that the men then handed over €200,000, which had been hidden in socks and underwear, to the coach, who in turn presented the pair with a piece of paper with the results of four games written on it.

Cuper has confessed to accepting the money, but that "it [the money] was for my mother-in-law and given to renovate her home."

The former Inter boss is under investigation, because one of the games he allegedly agreed to help fix did not yield the anticipated result, and that led to an argument between the two criminals over the phone, and this was recorded by the authorities.

The probe originally surfaced in Italy last year, after investigators were alerted to unusually large sums of money being gambled on certain games by punters.