FIFA Extends Bans for Match-Fixing in South Korea and Croatia

World soccer’s ruling body FIFA extended punishments worldwide to 13 people involved in match- fixing in South Korea and Croatia.

The action follows domestic investigations by those countries’ soccer associations and is in accordance with FIFA’s disciplinary code, the governing body said in a statement. The bans range from five years to life.

The number of sanctions extended in South Korea will increase, pending a review of additional cases, FIFA added. Some of the people implicated in Croatia still face criminal investigation.

“These cases prove once more that the threat of illegal betting and match-fixing is not only confined to one part of the world,” FIFA director of security Ralf Mutschke said in the statement. “The integrity of sport, and especially football, is hugely at risk and FIFA is firmly determined to combat this threat.”

FIFA’s latest action follows the extension of 45 domestic sanctions in Turkey and Finland to have global effect in February and April.

To contact the reporter on this story: Peter-Joseph Hegarty in London at phegarty@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Elser at celser@bloomberg.net