Claus Lundekvam reveals Premier League betting scam
Former Southampton captain Claus Lundekvam claims he was part of an alleged betting scam that involved a number of other players during his time in the Premier League.
Whistleblower: Claus Lundekvam has suggested spot-fixing in Premier League Photo: REUTERS
By Telegraph Sport
9:59AM BST 11 Jul 2012
In a series of interviews in his native Norway, the 39 year-old claims that he put huge bets on minor incidents in games - like who would win the first throw-in or corner - then, after conspiring with opposition players, ensured they happened at the correct time.
Lundekvam claims he and fellow Premiership players raked in thousands of pounds betting on their own games, and for while did it "almost every week".
The defender, who played for Saints between 1996 and 2008, said: "It’s not something I’m proud of. For a while we did this almost every week. We made a fair bit of money.
"The results were never on the agenda. That is something I would never have done. We were professional competitors.
"We could make deals with the opposing players about, for example, betting on the first throw, the first corner, who started with the ball, a yellow card or a penalty.
"Those were the sorts of things we had influence over. Even though what we did, of course, was illegal, it was just a fun thing."
The former Norway international, who won 40 caps for his country, is quoted in The Sun as saying. "We footballers live in a bubble. It was part of the lifestyle and the excitement. Whatever we could bet on, we bet on."
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