Dozens detained in major match-fixing and corruption probe in Czech football
Dozens of people have been detained in a sweeping police operation targeting suspected corruption and betting-related fraud in Czech football. The crackdown, described as the largest in the sport’s domestic history, spans competitions from the top league down to youth levels and extends beyond the country’s borders.
News of the massive crack-down on football fraud broke on Tuesday, when the High Public Prosecutor’s Office in Olomouc announced that police officers had been carrying out house searches, searches of other premises and land, and extensive questioning since the early morning hours. The operation involved detectives from the National Centre against Organised Crime, supported by regional police units, and reportedly took place at multiple locations both in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) chairman David Trunda stressed that that no members of Czech football’s top leadership are implicated. Kamil Javurek is the association’s integrity officer.
“The Football Association itself triggered the investigation after uncovering suspected match-fixing. It conducted its own internal probe over several years in cooperation with UEFA, its anti-match fixing authority and international partners. The cooperation in this matter was very broad.”
The scale of the case is exceptional.Dozens of individuals have been detained, and the Association’s Ethics Committee has already launched 47 disciplinary proceedings against players, officials, referees and clubs across multiple tiers of the game.
The case centres on allegations of bribery, illegal betting practices and manipulation of match outcomes. Among those under scrutiny are top-flight club MFK Karviná, its players Samuel Šigut and Matěj Hýbl, and Karviná mayor Jan Wolf. The club is suspected of breaching FAČR regulations by attempting to influence the integrity of competition, including allegedly offering bribes to referees Jan Všetečka and Miroslav Zelinka to affect a league match against České Budějovice in March 2024.
Investigators are also examining a reported offer of 100,000 Czech crowns and a promised transfer to Karviná made to then-České Budějovice player Samuel Šigut, as well as a similar proposal to Filip Štěpánek in connection with relegation play-off matches between Karviná and Vyškov. Both players were allegedly expected to influence matches in Karviná’s favour, with a transfer contingent on České Budějovice being relegated. Karviná won the key match 2–1 and subsequently secured its top-flight status through the play-offs. Šigut later joined the club, while Štěpánek did not.
The investigation also extends to second-tier side SFC Opava, including its co-owner Martin Latka and several players, as well as a number of referees from professional competitions. Former top-flight referee Pavel Býma is also among those being examined.
Despite the breadth of the probe, clubs across the top and lower divisions initially reported no knowledge of the operation as it unfolded. The timing of the police action—just two days before a crucial Czech national team play-off semi-final against Ireland—was described by Trunda as beyond the association’s control.
Authorities have not disclosed all locations involved, but confirmed that the case has an international dimension, with Europol, Interpol and UEFA’s Anti-Match-Fixing Unit participating in the coordinated effort.
Czech Minister for Sport Boris Šťastný said he is closely monitoring developments and voiced full support for measures to combat match-fixing, as investigators continue to unravel what appears to be a deeply rooted network of corruption within the game.
