The Latvian Football Federation has not said whether the second team suspected of betting on its own matches belongs to LMT Virslīga, the top-tier Latvian football league. FC Dinaburg, a Virslīga team, was disqualified from further competition this season for the same offense on Monday. Dinaburg’s general manager, Oleg Gavrilov, and its coach, Tamaz Pertija were given a lifetime ban and can no longer participate in Latvian soccer.
RIGA — Guntis Indriksons, the president of the Latvian Football Federation, said Tuesday that another soccer team is suspected of betting on its own matches and that he expects to confront the team in the near future.
The revelation came one day after the federation announced it had disqualified the Daugavpils-based Dinaburg football team for repeated instances of betting on its own matches. Dinaburg’s general manager, Oleg Gavrilov, and its coach, Tamaz Pertija were given a lifetime ban and can no longer participate in Latvian soccer.
“There are suspicions that one more Latvian men’s soccer team has manipulated game results,” Indriksons told the “900 Seconds” television program.
He refused to name the team, saying that federation officials first needed to speak with the team’s management to clear up the situation.
“I hope the club will make a statement on this situation in the nearest future,” Indriksons said. “I think the decision on Dinaburg will serve as a warning for many and will stop them from making ill-considered steps.”
According to the federation’s decision, Dinaburg, which is currently in fourth place, will forfeit its remaining six league games by a score of 0-3. Martins Hartmanis, spokesman for the football federation, told Baltic Reports that Dinaburg will still end the season in fourth place. Hartmanis refused to provide details on the federation’s decision, but he did say the team was issued a warning several years ago to cease betting on its own matches and that fresh information from UEFA on Dinaburg had shown that the team failed to do that.
Meanwhile, Gavrilov blasted the decision, telling the Diena newspaper that the federation “does what it wants.” “No one has explained to me why we are disqualified. I only know that there’s been a decision,” he said. “We have to sit down at the table, talk and see the facts, the evidence.”
He added that he didn’t exclude the possibility of turning to the courts. He also said that the team would continue training.
Pertija denied any wrongdoing. “God see all. God knows that I’m honorable and I have no connections with gambling houses,” he was quoted by Diena as saying.
The expelling of Dinaburg comes during a heady season for Latvian soccer as the men’s team possesses a rare chance to win a spot in next year’s World Cup in South Africa. The team has 14 points in its group, tied with Greece and three points behind Switzerland. The Alexander Starkov-led team has garnered 10 points in four games, and hopes to continue its streak in Athens on Saturday.
Regarding the future of football in Daugavpils, Indriksons emphasized that there should be a team in Latvia’s second largest city. “Soccer hasn’t died there. But this team [Dinaburg] can’t participate any longer,” he said.
