France: "If corruption (is) proven, sanctions will be taken with the greatest firmness" (F. Thiriez)

"Corruption, or even the suspicion of corruption and match fixing, is a deadly poison for sport in general and football in particular," said Frederic Thiriez, president of the LFP (French Professional Football League), in a statement from the LFP on 18/11/2014.

"If the facts of corruption, match fixing, arrangements -- or even simply the attempts to do so -- are proven to the LFP, the appropriate disciplinary or administrative sanctions, individual or collective, that are needed will be taken with the greatest firmness," said the president of the League, who added: "I remind you that this can even result in expulsion from the championships."

• The statement from the French LFP follows the arrests made on the morning of 18/11/2014, in Nimes, Angers, Caen and Dijon, as part of an investigation into suspected "corruption and bribery in connection with sporting events."
  
  • This police operation was conducted by investigators from the SCCJ (French racing and gaming authority).
• It is suspected Jean-Marc Conrad, the president of Nîmes Olympique, used match-fixing in the final matches…