Premier League match-fixing scandal: Swedish police chief claims players involved

Updated: 24 Nov, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Premier League match-fixing scandal: Swedish police chief claims players involved

A Swedish police chief and match-fixing investigator has sensationally claimed that multiple Premier League players are guilty of rigging matches.

Fredrik Gardare, who previously exposed ex-Manchester City midfielder Dickson Etuhu's bribery attempt in Sweden, says evidence seized during a 2021 casino raid revealed shocking details of Premier League stars betting on games.

Etuhu was banned from football for five years after being found guilty of attempting to bribe AIK goalkeeper Kyriakos Stamatopoulos to underperform in a 2017 league match.

Now, Gardare claims his later probe uncovered even more alarming evidence, and this time involving England's top flight.

Evidence Found on Confiscated Phones

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Gardare revealed that phones seized during the casino raid included Telegram messages linking several Premier League players to suspicious betting activity.

There was more than one Premier League player [involved]. Betting on yellow cards, corners and other aspects in matches.

I have worked on hundreds of match-fixing cases, and this was the clearest case you could have.

It doesn't get any clearer than being found on a confiscated mobile phone. That phone is either sitting with Stockholm police or the national police force.

Despite the evidence, Swedish police decided not to pursue the case further after Gardare's unit was disbanded in late 2021.

It was very high priority from my side, I set my whole team on this investigation.

But at the same time, the police said, "We are finished with this" in December that year.

Authorities in the Dark?

Gardare says Swedish football authorities were informed, but insists it is unclear whether the findings were ever passed on to the English FA.

Swedish FA integrity officer Johan Claesson confirmed receiving "general intelligence" from police, but claimed the data contained no specifics that could lead to action.

The Premier League has since told The Sun that it is "not aware" of the allegations, whilst stressing that any governance on betting and integrity lies with the FA.

A Growing Concern

The revelations come amid increasing scrutiny on betting-related corruption in football.

Last year, whistleblower Moses Swaibu claimed at least five Premier League players had been approached by match-fixers, whilst West Ham United's Lucas Paquetá has faced a lengthy investigation into suspicious betting patterns surrounding yellow cards.

Gardare, who has spent years investigating organised crime in sport, says it is crucial for English and international football to confront the issue head-on.

This is important for both Swedish football and football in several countries. It's important for England and international football to stop ongoing match-fixing.

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