Michael Laudrup - Match fixing......or not?

Michael Laudrup has said he's OK with paying other teams to win matches, and as it's not paying someone to lose a game it doesn't count as match fixing:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19667219

I can sort of see he has a point, but it still doesn't seem right to me. A team fighting relegation could pay another team who are playing one of their main rivals...or even, the other team threatening to field a weakish side against the rivals unless they come up with cash. And while I'm light years away from being a legal expert, it would still seem to violate the FA rules quoted at the bottom of the article.

You also have to question the sagacity of a manager of a team that has pretensions to be a premier league outfit coming out with that sort of comment.

The Tonker wrote:Michael Laudrup has said he's OK with paying other teams to win matches, and as it's not paying someone to lose a game it doesn't count as match fixing:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19667219

I can sort of see he has a point, but it still doesn't seem right to me. A team fighting relegation could pay another team who are playing one of their main rivals...or even, the other team threatening to field a weakish side against the rivals unless they come up with cash. And while I'm light years away from being a legal expert, it would still seem to violate the FA rules quoted at the bottom of the article.

You also have to question the sagacity of a manager of a team that has pretensions to be a premier league outfit coming out with that sort of comment.

Taken from the BBC report you quoted:

But the FA pointed to rule E5(a) of its regulations, which states:
a participant shall not, directly or indirectly, offer, agree to give, give, solicit, agree to accept or accept any bribe, gift or reward or consideration of any nature which is, or could appear to be related in any way to seeking to influence the outcome or conduct of a match or competition.

Cuts both ways; Laudrup is out of order - he might have been exposed to Italian corruption, and there may even be English League corruption but Laudrup has been rather foolish to express these opinions, which, for the record, I do not agree with.

"Sagacity". Word of the day imo.

Re the topic. It's corrupt. As ever, those with money to burn will impose undue influence. Obviously, it is hypothetical in Swansea's case, other than being a recipient of course.

Cheating is cheating. It doesn't matter if it helps your team, hinders your team or has no effect whatsoever on your team, if you don't abide by the spirit of fair play you are cheating. I'd want Laudrup to face internal disciplinary action if that quote is indeed correct.

He should be removed with immediate effect for those comments. They are a bad influence and as a manager he should be a role model. A role model wouldn't say such things that bring the sport into disrepute.

CB39 wrote:He should be removed with immediate effect for those comments. They are a bad influence and as a manager he should be a role model. A role model wouldn't say such things that bring the sport into disrepute.

The sack would be a bit harsh I think for a potentially off the cuff comment that may of been taken out of context knowing the BBC. But it most certainly can't go unpunished.

Red614 wrote:

CB39 wrote:He should be removed with immediate effect for those comments. They are a bad influence and as a manager he should be a role model. A role model wouldn't say such things that bring the sport into disrepute.

The sack would be a bit harsh I think for a potentially off the cuff comment that may of been taken out of context knowing the BBC. But it most certainly can't go unpunished.

Okay then they should shoot the jack bastard.

You'd think someone in the Spanish FA would be refuting Laudrup's comments if there wasn't some truth to them.