The recent revelations from a former Zenit Saint Petersburg player raise concerns about widespread corruption in Russian football. Erik Hagen, who played for Zenit from 2005 to 2008, made damning statements about match-fixing and corruption in an interview with VG magazine.
Hagen spoke about suspicious occurrences both in the league and in the UEFA Cup. He mentioned instances where match outcomes seemed predetermined, stating, “In the championship, it’s as if the champion was designated in advance. In 2007, my God, in the last matches, all the decisions were in our favor, it was embarrassing.”
Furthermore, Hagen disclosed details of a bribe offered to a referee before a European match, indicating collusion between players and officials. He revealed that a teammate knew the referee and instructed the team to pay $3,000 to each referee to secure a victory. During the match, Hagen claimed that four goals were wrongly disallowed for offside, suggesting foul play.
Hagen did not specify the match in question or whether it occurred during the 2007/2008 season when Zenit won the competition.
These revelations raise serious concerns about the integrity of football in Russia and highlight the need for thorough investigations into match-fixing and corruption allegations.
Tags: referees, Erik Hagen, football, Fixed matches, revelations, Russia, UEFA, Zenit Saint-Petersburg
