Bosnian referee appeals match-fixing life ban

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NYON, Switzerland, Feb 26, 2010 (AFP) - The Bosnian referee found guilty this week of match-fixing by UEFA is to appeal against his life ban, European football's governing body revealed on Friday.

Novo Panic, 30, was kicked out of the game on Wednesday after a German police investigation into European football's worst ever match-fixing scandal involving 200 suspect games in nine countries.

News of the affair broke last November when prosecutors in Bochum revealed that a 200-strong band operating across Europe was suspected of rigging matches in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Austria.

By bribing players, coaches, referees and officials to influence matches, the gang is thought to have earned as much as 10 million euros (15 million dollars) in huge bets with bookmakers in Europe and Asia, primarily in China.

The games include three Champions League ties, 12 matches in the Europa League, formerly the UEFA Cup and one qualifying game for the under-21 European championship. All took place this season.

"Without doubt this is the biggest scam there has ever been in European football," UEFA's match-fixing specialist Peter Limacher said last November.

Aside from Panic, a Croatian assistant referee, Tomislav Setka, was suspended until June 2011, while a third official targeted by the inquiry, Ukrainian referee Oleg Oriekhov, was handed a 30-day provisional ban with his case set to be heard on March 18.

A fourth referee, Bulgarian Anton Genov, who was under investigation for a seperate probe involving illegal betting, escaped sanction.

UEFA stressed that this week's punishments to Panic, Setka and Oriekhov were independent of any possible sanctions eventually imposed by German investigators.

UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, confirming Panic's appeal, told the continental body's official website: "Novo Panic has been banned for life from carrying out any football-related activities.

"He has lodged an appeal with UEFA against the verdict, and the appeal hearing date will be communicated in due course."

Infantino, who took over his post last October, outlined the measures UEFA had already taken to stamp out corruption.

The Swiss-Italian commented: "These cases show the results that we are starting to achieve.

"One important project that we have launched -- the Betting Fraud Detection System -- highlights suspicious betting patterns around games, and allows us to focus our investigations, thereby helping to prevent match-fixing.

"The system has been implemented not only for all of UEFA's matches, but also for all first- and second-division matches in our 53 member associations, and this is where we can support them in this campaign."

He said UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body had also taken a firm stance, as seen, he noted, by the verdicts in this week's cases.

"In addition, we are working internally to develop 'field intelligence' on all of these criminal actions, and to provide higher awareness training for the referees," he added.

"However, I must stress that this is not just about match officials alone. (UEFA) President (Michel) Platini has made a call to the entire football family to help -- because this is a fight we have to undertake together."

Investigating prosecutor Andreas Bachmann described the scandal as "just the tip of the iceberg".

"UEFA will be demanding the harshest of sanctions ... for any individuals, clubs or officials who are implicated in this malpractice," Infantino added in a statement.