IT COULD NEVER HAPPEN HERE

From the Telegraph:

A Bundesliga game has been mentioned for the first time in Germany's widening football match-fixing scandal, according to two newspaper reports.

Referee Jürgen Jansen was allegedly approached by a Croatian-controlled betting ring in November and asked to make sure the game between Kaiserslautern and Freiburg ended in the "right" result, it was reported in the respected Sueddeutsche Zeitung and mass-circulation Bild newspapers.

Jansen was allegedly approached by one of three Croatians who have been arrested on suspicion of fraud. The match, on Nov 27, ended in a 3-0 win for Kaiserslautern after two disputed goals.

The information came from the referee at the centre of the scandal, Robert Hoyzer, and was given to Berlin prosecutors when they questioned him on Friday. Hoyzer has already admitted helping third division Paderborn beat Hamburg 4-2 in a German Cup match in August.

On Monday, the Paderborn captain was suspended after admitting to receiving a similar "bonus" payment.

Jansen was removed as the official in charge of the Werder Bremen-Hansa Rostock match just hours before kick- off on Sunday.

The German Football Federation (DFB) described Jansen's removal as a "purely precautionary measure," saying he was not suspected of fixing matches. Jansen gave a sworn statement denying any connection to the affair.

He was one of three referees and eight players named by Bild yesterday as having been implicated in the affair by Hoyzer.

Meanwhile, a reserve goalkeeper for second division Dynamo Dresden confirmed that players had received a "bonus" from an unknown man in June 2003 for a win. Dresden were then in the third division. Dresden president Jochen Rudi said the money came from a sponsor, but declined to name him.