With Man City found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges, I thought I’d look at some of the biggest football scandals to engulf various nations.I have not included ongoing cases in Spain and Turkey, as let’s see how they resolve.Bribery and match-fixing shake European footballGermany 1971 – Players BribedIf this happened in the Premier League, I don’t think English football would survive.Imagine Crystal Palace had been relegated, but Steve Parish still invited journalists, members of the FA and the England manager to attend his birthday party.Or that’s what they are led to believe.Instead, the chairman plays a recording of various players and managers across the league discussing large sums of money to influence results and help another club survive.For months, players were being offered money to lose games, miss chances or influence results.The actual guilty parties included Arminia Bielefeld, who were fighting to survive relegation and became heavily involved in paying opponents.This explained to Horst-Gregorio Canellas the shock results his relegation rivals were getting.The president of Kickers Offenbach had also been approached by Köln goalkeeper Manfred Manglitz, who effectively wanted to know what Offenbach would pay for him and several teammates to lose to them on the final day.Having his concerns over rumours and odd scorelines dismissed, Canellas began recording conversations.He also spoke with two Hertha Berlin players and made a counteroffer to ensure Hertha played with integrity against Bielefeld, but couldn’t match the sum already on offer.This was his biggest error.The businessman thought he was protecting his club.His side would stay up with the right result on the final day, but if not, he had proof of match-fixing that surely would have Offenbach reinstated and Bielefeld thrown out of the Bundesliga?While Arminia Bielefeld did have their licence removed and coach Egon Piechaczek was initially banned for life before later being pardoned, Mr Canellas was also banned from football for life after admitting he had offered a bribe.After major support in the media and public, he was pardoned five years later.1993 – France: Go EasyYou may have heard Mr Wenger speak about how deeply this period affected him and contributed to him leaving French football.It was hard enough being a manager constantly finishing runners-up to Marseille.Yet in 1993, Jacques Glassmann blew the whistle after himself and two of his teammates had been approached by Marseille midfielder Jean-Jacques Eydelie, with 250,000 francs on offer to take things easy against Marseille.A win would mean a fifth title in a row.Bernard Tapie wanted to get that sealed at the earliest opportunity so the squad could have more time to prepare for the Champions League Final.The owner clearly didn’t trust that this could be done fairly on the pitch or simply didn’t want to take that gamble.When a senior Marseille official later testified that the club had bought around five or six games a season, Mr Wenger’s paranoia was validated.No one in French football knew if what they had been watching had been real, and when that happens… that’s not sport.Bernard Tapie was eventually jailed.Marseille’s title was stripped, they were relegated and forced out of Europe, while their financial problems eventually resulted in the club filing for bankruptcy.2006 – Italy: CalciopoliThere has never been definitive proof that individual matches were directly fixed in Juventus’s favour.That is what makes Calciopoli different from some of the other scandals on this list.It was more about influence over which referees were appointed and the relationship between powerful club executives and those responsible for selecting officials.Managers and owners express opinions about referees every season in various nations.What most don’t do is put pressure on the people deciding which official is working where each weekend.Luciano Moggi was found to have exercised significant influence over the referee appointment process, pushing for officials he considered favourable and against those he didn’t.There were also accusations surrounding players who were one yellow card away from suspension and discussions about who might officiate certain fixtures.That’s the issue, though. It put doubts in the minds of every Italian fan about whether what they had watched had been legit.Moggi ultimately avoided serving a prison sentence because the statute of limitations expired, while maintaining his innocence.Several other Serie A clubs and one Serie B side also received sanctions for related offences.Juventus remained the only major club relegated after the appeals process, although their points deduction was reduced.To this day, the official line from Turin is that they are innocent, and on their website and in their records they acknowledge themselves as 38-time champions even though the official Serie A record recognises 36 Scudettos.You could see Man City doing the same?From Koriopolis to Spain getting tough2010 – Greece: KoriopolisNamed after Italy’s Calciopoli, Koriopolis in some ways was even more dangerous, with allegations including bribery, organised criminal activity, extortion and threats.Even after that, many felt some more high-profile names escaped punishment.Depending on what part of the country you visit, you’ll get different answers to who should have been punished and why they were not.UEFA’s Betting Fraud Detection System flagged more than 40 suspicious Greek matches.Their government stepped in, with investigators using recorded telephone conversations involving executives, presidents and others amid allegations that results and betting-related outcomes were being manipulated.Games involving those at the lower end of the Super League and lower divisions were among those under suspicion.The investigation went beyond simply offering someone money to lose a football match.There were allegations of extortion, threats and criminal groups becoming involved.Essentially, a culture had been created where, if you could control aspects of the game, you could influence the direction of the sport and make money from gambling.When threats and intimidation become part of football, it is no longer simply a sporting issue.That is why many in Greece remain cynical that corruption has truly been fixed.2020 – Spain Gets ToughIn 2020, a Spanish court handed down the country’s first convictions for sporting corruption involving football match-fixing.In 2014, Osasuna’s new directors requested an audit.Needing to explain a financial black hole, their former managing director admitted that payments had been arranged involving Real Betis players: €400,000 for Betis to beat relegation rivals Real Valladolid and €250,000 for Betis to lose to Osasuna.Some of those involved admitted discussions over an incentive for Betis to beat Valladolid but denied receiving money or agreeing to lose against Osasuna.Evidence from telephone records and geolocation helped support the prosecution’s case that meetings had taken place involving Osasuna officials and Betis players.Antonio Amaya and Xavi Torres were eventually convicted of sporting corruption and handed prison sentences.There was, though, an important later distinction from Spain’s Supreme Court.It ruled that paying players from another club an incentive to win a match was not itself a criminal offence, although it could still be punished under sporting rules.Paying players to deliberately lose remained a different matter.So even within one of football’s biggest corruption cases, the line between an illegal sporting incentive and criminal match-fixing proved complicated.Which of these scandals do you think damaged the credibility of football the most, and which countries or cases should feature in Part 2? Let me know in the comments.Dan Smith_____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsEuropean football’s darkest scandals: Bribes, corruption and match-fixing Part 15 October 2026, 23:00German club sets €60 million asking price for Arsenal target5 October 2026, 21:30Club ready for Arsenal offer and will sell at right price5 October 2026, 20:15The post European football’s darkest scandals: Bribes, corruption and match-fixing Part 1 appeared first on Just Arsenal News.