Czechia football thrown into turmoil by match-fixing probe

Dozens of arrests have reportedly been made during dawn raids.

Tue, 24 Mar, 2026 - 09:16

John Fallon

Czechia football has been rocked by a match-fixing scandal two days out from the crunch World Cup playoff against Ireland.

In what’s being described as the “largest police crackdown in the history of Czech football", dozens of arrests have been made during dawn raids.

Czechia FA's preparations for the visit of Ireland have been disrupted after their chairman David Trunda sent a message to the members of the executive committee for a "SOS and red phone mode" meeting today.

They state: "Since 6am, a huge intervention of perhaps the largest scale in the history of Czech football has been underway.

“Europol and Interpol are involved in the action. All is in coordination with the UEFA anti match-fixing unit.”

According to media outlet Isport, the three-year investigation concerns alleged betting corruption in club matches from youth to first-team level.

The probe is said to concentrate primarily on the area of Moravia, part of the eastern Brno region near the Slovakian border.

“The Ethics Committee will begin proceedings today with more than 40 players, officials, referees and clubs, including clubs in the top competition up to the 4th league plus youth leagues," according to the Czechia FA.

In some cases, the accusations extend beyond wagering bets to influencing the outcome of matches. The findings relate to matches from 2023.

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