TIRANA, May 25 – Albania’s sixth straight Superliga winners Skenderbeu which last year became the first Albanian club to play in the UEFA Europa league group stage could be suspended by European football’s governing body, UEFA, on match-fixing allegations.
The Korà§a-based southeastern Albanian club confirmed on Wednesday UEFA has launched an investigation and that senior club officials have been called in a hearing by the European football’s governing body.
“UEFA inspectors have cast doubts on the honesty of our results in some Albanian championship matches against Partizani, Teuta, Tirana and Vllaznia and in European cups. The investigation was launched based on information obtained by Albanian and foreign betting companies, allegations on social networks by opponent fans and specific media outlets,” Skenderbeu said in a statement.
Skenderbeu, who won their sixth straight Supeliga title in a final day battle with rivals Partizani, says its achievements have been merit-based and will provide all necessary explanations to UEFA inspectors.
Last year, Brussels-based Federbet gaming anti-corruption organization, cast match-fixing doubts on several of Skenderbeu fixtures, including the UEFA Champions League qualifying round with Northern Ireland’s Crusaders and UEFA group stage matches with Lokomotiv Moscow, Dinamo Zagreb and Sporting Lisbon.
Last December, Skenderbeu ended their Europa League campaign with a 3-0 home defeat against Russia’s Lokomotiv Moscow, finishing bottom in Group H, but making history as the first Albanian club to have made to the group stage of a major European competition. Skenderbeu earned only three points from a 3-0 home victory against Sporting Lisbon.
Skenderbeu entered the Europa League after failing to qualify in the more prestigious UEFA Champions League after losing to Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb in the play-off stage.
Skenderbeu have been dominating Albanian football for the past six years although having previously won only a single title back in the early 1930s. The Snow Wolves’ success has come thanks to huge investment that brought to the southeastern club in the city of Korà§a promising Albanian and foreign players.
