Presidents of French Clubs Arrested Over Match-Fixing

The presidents of French football clubs Caen and Nimes along with the coach of Dijon were in custody for alleged match-fixing in second division games last season.

Caen president Jean-Francois Fortin, Nimes president Jean-Marc Conrad and Dijon coach Olivier Dall’Oglio were among nine people arrested in relation to a Ligue 2 match between Caen and Nimes, which secured Nimes’ survival in the league.

The three clubs now face expulsion from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 respectively if they are found guilty of match-fixing.

“Such investigations should be carried out by law enforcement agencies, not sports organisations,” the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) said in a statement.

“As a result, these cases echo the urgent need to establish an international platform that is able to act as a focal point to coordinate law enforcement, sport and gaming regulators and to better understand the global and political threat to sport.”

The three men were arrested on the same day as current Marseille president Vincent Labrune and former presidents, Jean-Claude Dassier and Pape Diouf who were involved in a separate case involving transfers.

Both arrests are said to be part of a wider investigation outside of sport.