Korean league match fixing scandal blown out of proportion – Derek Asamoah
Ghana and Pohang Steelers midfielder Derrick Asamoah claims the recent match fixing scandal in South Korea has been blown out of proportion despite the ban on 50 players in the league.
South Korea’s K-League has imposed a lifetime ban on 50 footballers indicted over their alleged involvement in the scandal.
Prosecutors indicted the players for allegedly taking bribes in return for trying to rig the results of games or bet on games after learning their outcome would be fixed.
But Derrick Asamoah, who has been playing in the K-League for the last six months, reckons the issue has been blown out of proportion.
“Like everything else, it has been made bigger than what it was,” Boateng said adding that “personally, I think it is a problem in sports in general than a problem in just Korea only.
The bans include eight players from Daejeon Citizen, the team which lost 3:0 to Pohang Steelers in a suspicious game on April 6, 2011.
Asamoah is adamant his team was not part of the scandal.
“None of our players were involved in such things. Before every game we made pledges not to do this because we respect the game and the fans for what they deserve to see.
“Like I said it’s a problem; it has been a problem in England, Turkey, Italy and so many other countries..
“It is just a matter of keeping it to a minimum.”
The K- league however says some of those given bans could eventually be rehabilitated because they voluntarily reported their wrongdoing before their arrests.
Boateng believes the appropriate steps have been taken to get the league back on track.
“The right actions have been taken and the people involved in it have been brought to justice. They have been banned or kicked out of football as they will as in other sports.
“I feel people do look at it differently but it has been blown out of proportion. The league is back to where it was first and people are playing in the right spirits.”
By Erasmus Kwaw, Back from Daegu, South Korea