by Nwaji Jibunoh

At the 1978 World Cup Finals in Argentina, there was an absent figure that was highly regarded at the time as one of the greatest soccer players after Pele.  His name was Johan Cryuff; the man who invented and executed total football and showcased his skills on the grandest stage throughout the 70’s.  Cryuff had played for his country; The Netherlands in the previous tournament in 1974 and reached the final game losing to Germany.

Everyone was expecting this prolific player to return 4 years later and catapult La Orange (that’s the nickname for the Dutch national team) into super stardom.  At the last minute, their talisman pulled out of the tournament to the shock and awe of the world.  There were all sorts of speculation as to why he dropped out, but it wasn’t until 2008 when he finally spoke out indicating that he and his family had been the victims of an attempted kidnap plot.  He stated that experience and the demands from the assailants with regard to his profession had such a profound effect on him that he decided to exit the world stage of soccer to the disappoint of millions of fans, the expense of several marketing magnates, and a dent in the reputation of the beautiful game.

Criminal elements have always found their way into sports.  Johan Cryuff is one of the first examples of such a high profile case where an organized crime syndicate ultimately affected a decision made by a professional athlete creating the beginning of football scandals influenced by Organized Crime.

Yesterday, Europol in a very bizarre and interesting press conference stated that there are currently almost 700 games whose outcomes where determined as a result of Match Fixing.  Now, match fixing is not new to the World of Soccer.  After all, all you have to do is go back to Olympique Marseille in the French League in 1994 and AC Milan and Juventus from the Italian top flight in 2006 to see evidence of the influence of criminal elements in soccer and their very long reach.  But, this particular situation currently being investigated by Europol showcases a new depth to how bad this scandal has become.  We are talking about 680 games, 15 countries, 425 referees in a span of less than 3 years.  Absolute MADNESS!!!!

In as much as the details are not public right now as the investigations are ongoing, it does spur the question of the integrity of the sport.  For majority of individuals who aspire to be professionals in this sport, it will always be more than just a game.  It is first and foremost a way out of one’s current socioeconomic situation.  In developing countries, this is more apparent than anything else.  So for every young lad from a South American or African ghetto looking to one day make it big in world football, there are countless Europeans already enrolling in youth development programs honing their craft at a very early age.  So even before one can conceptualize it, the disparity already exists.  Some make it through the cracks, others won’t.  What this now creates is a recipe for match fixing.  How so?  Check it; the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Didier Drogba earn on average 200,000  Pounds Sterling per week ($320,000 USD).  These guys play for the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Drogba who left Chelsea in May 2012.  All these clubs are well funded with billionaire owners.  Now, these clubs will as a result of their schedules play the likes of Accrington Stanley, Real Zaragoza, Reading FC, and Debrecen.  These are clubs that you will probably never hear of on ESPN.  The average salary from these clubs that I have just mentioned is in the ball park of 1000-3000 Pounds Sterling per week ($1600 – $4800).  Any mafiaso, crime agent, etc can easily go to any member of the aforementioned teams as a result of such ridiculous earning disparities and say “I will give $20,000 in cash if you miss a few shots and another $40,000 if you allow Messi to breeze right by you”.  No matter your level of competitive spirit, honesty, and integrity, your morals will be questioned especially when you have responsibilities and even worse when you know the man they are asking you to NOT defend makes 40 times what you’re making.

The lack of having an effective salary cap and salary floor structure in FIFA regulated leagues along with a regimented punitive system to prevent overt betting is partly the cause of this problem, and as Europol begins to release the names of the clubs, players, games, referees, and countries involved in this fiasco, I am sure somebody may want to hire Olivia Pope to fix this Scandal.

Nwaji Jibunoh, International Correspondent for War Room Sports

Located in Lagos, Nigeria, Nwaji Jibunoh is War Room Sports’ International Soccer Contributor.  Nwaji also contributes commentary on U.S. sports from an international perspective.  He’s an Atlanta Falcons fan, Howard University alum, and former tight end for the North Atlanta High School Warriors.