In the ninth part of Handbollskanalen’s series on match-fixing, we bring you the results of a survey conducted with players and coaches from clubs in the women’s and men’s top division in Sweden (SHE and Handbollsligan), with questions investigating how many players have been contacted to fix a match and how many who were involved in a match they suspected was being fixed.
The questionnaire was sent to about 300 elite players and coaches in Sweden, in the SHE and Handbollsligan. Handbollskanalen has received responses from 80 people, so about a quarter of the players and leaders have responded to the survey.
1 in 4 knows about a fixed match
The most striking thing about the survey results is that one in every four people who responded to the survey knows of a fixed match. In 15 percent of the survey responses, it is stated that they have heard that teammates have participated in fixed matches. An equally high proportion say that they certainly know or have heard rumors about fixed matches that have not been reported in the media. In total, this means that almost one in four (23 percent) has heard of matches that are suspected to in some way have been fixed.
1 in 10 have played in a fixed match
Eight out of 80 players/coaches, or exactly 10 percent, say that they have played or coached in at least one match that they suspect has been fixed. There are, of course, gaps and uncertainties in the data in handball, but the fact that every tenth elite player or coach in Swedish handball has played or coached in a suspicious match is remarkable.
In addition, two of the 80 respondents state that they at some point have been contacted by someone who wanted them to help fix a match. Two out of 80 may not sound like a lot, but together with the eight who state that they have played a suspected fixed match, it is more than every tenth respondent who objectively has come into contact with match-fixing.
1 in 3 have bet on or knows of someone who has bet on their own match
If that was not enough, more answers to our questions will stand out. One in ten answers that they have bet on a match they themselves played, which is not allowed. When asked if they know of another person who has bet on their own match in the past year, 29 percent answer that they know of several people or at least someone who has done so. This means that every third player or coach at Sweden’s elite level has either bet on their own match (10 percent) or knows someone else who has done so (24 percent).
2 out of 3 have received education
In two of our previous articles, where we talk to the Swedish Sports Confederation (RF) and the Swedish Handball Association (SHF), they mention training on match-fixing and gambling that is carried out to help. When we ask about this, two-thirds answer that they have received education at least once.
Despite the answers, few see match-fixing as a big problem
The final question in the survey is how big a problem those who responded to the survey believe that match-fixing is in Swedish handball. There, 41 percent state that it ”is not a problem at all” and almost as many, 40 percent, answered that it ”is not a particularly big problem”. Only two people think it is a “fairly big” or “very big problem”. Since another 16 percent answered that they do not know, or that they do not take a stand, it is easy to see that the problem is bigger than what the players and coaches believe.
READ MORE: Handbollskanalen reveals: Match-fixing in the EHF Champions League in autumn 2021
READ MORE: Handbollskanalen reveals, part 2: Swedish club has reported match-fixing
READ MORE: Source confirms: Match fixed in the Champions League
READ MORE: Match-fixing, part 4: A giant scandal – Handbollskanalen dives deep
READ MORE: EHF on suspected matches: ”No legal proceedings have been initiated”
READ MORE: Match-fixing, part 6: ”The work against match-fixing is 15-20 years behind”
READ MORE: Match-fixing, part 7: This is how the Swedish Handball Association works against match-fixing
READ MORE: Match-fixing, part 8: Sportradar explains: ”Since the pandemic, match-fixing has exploded”
