Several members of the Maltese national water polo team are under investigation on suspicion of betting on their own defeat by a multiple-goal margin in a match against Montenegro at the start of the European Championship in Belgrade, it has been learned. Times of Malta.
Montenegro won the match played on January 10th in the first round of Group A with a score of 21:12.
Sources close to the investigation say that it is suspected that Malta players placed bets on the goal difference.
There is suspicion that they allegedly planned to influence the course of the match itself so that the final result would match the terms of their bets and thus bring them a financial profit.
The Malta - Montenegro match, however, is not the only one, sources from the "Times of Malta" state that the next match Malta played against France could also come under scrutiny, if additional information emerges.
Malta also lost to the French by nine goals - 22:13.
"If these allegations are confirmed, it would be a serious blow to the reputation of Maltese water polo, especially at a time when the sport has made significant progress in recent years and gained greater visibility on the international stage," writes the Times of Malta.
Malta has really progressed in recent years, with Montenegrin coach Milan Ćirović at its helm.
When asked for comment, the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport (AIMS) said it could neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigation at this stage.
Similarly, the Malta Police were unwilling to provide any information.
The president of the Malta Aquatics Association (ASA), Karl Ico, who was also contacted, said that so far the ASA has not received any official report, but added that he hopes the allegations are not true.
"God forbid they are true, because it would cast a shadow over all the hard work the federation has put in over the past years to advance this sport," he said.
On Friday afternoon, the Malta Aquatics Federation issued an official statement in which President Ico stated that to date the ASA has not received or been provided with any official report, application or formal notification regarding these alleged incidents.
"ASA stands firmly behind the principles of integrity, transparency and fair play, which are the foundation of sport at all levels," said Ico.
"While we take every allegation of this nature seriously, it is necessary to emphasize that allegations remain just allegations until they are confirmed by the competent authorities through the prescribed procedure."
ASA reiterates its full commitment to open and full cooperation with all relevant domestic and international institutions, should an investigation be formally initiated or any request for assistance be made.
The Federation will take all necessary measures within its jurisdiction to protect the integrity of the sport and ensure accountability, if necessary.”
This would, according to the Times of Malta, be the third high-profile case in the last two decades in which a Maltese national team has been linked to an investigation into match-fixing or betting.
In 2011, the Maltese national football team found itself at the center of a match-fixing scandal involving a Croatian betting network, which related to a 2008 European Championship qualifying match against Norway, played in Oslo.
Five years later, in 2016, six players from the Maltese under-21 national team were suspended by UEFA after being found guilty of influencing the outcome of two European Championship qualifying matches against Montenegro and the Czech Republic.
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