This Is What Happens When You Award Macedonia & Canada Four Penalties, You Get Investigated For Match-Fixing.

Maybe it’s a quirk, but I’m fascinated by rewatching video and highlights of games which have been deemed “less than legit”, or even suggested as such. Call me curious, call me crazy…call me a fan of Serie A.

This, just breaking, is one of those games. UEFA has suspended Bulgarian referee (you’re shocked, I know it) Anton Genov following those three deadly words: suspicious betting patterns. The game in question should raise even more eyebrows: Macedonia v Canada in an international friendly. Who on earth, outside the fans of the two countries, would pay attention? And who would then care? Nobody, that’s who, making it the perfect fixing candidate. Well, maybe UEFA care. Yeah, UEFA care.

This is what was found when UEFA cared:

“After interviewing the referee in question, Uefa has decided not to appoint Anton Genov to any European matches until further notice,” said a Uefa spokesman, Rob Faulkner, in a statement.

Genov awarded four penalties, two to each side, during Macedonia’s 3-0 victory in Strumica.

Betting operators reportedly were alerted by the number of wagers placed on at least three goals being scored and on the number of penalties awarded.

Four penalties is any game is enough to raise suspicions. Four penalties in a friendly means you need a quick lesson in match-fixing from Luciano Moggi. (’How not to get caught’ will need to come from elsewhere.) Sort of.

Deciphering the legitimacy of the penalties is difficult with video which looks like it came from a hungover parent’s handycam at a 9a weekend game. The third looks like it might possibly have potential to maybe be suspicious, but it’s impossible to tell. What is definitely suspicious is Canada’s finishing from the spot, but then that may just be that they’re not very good.

So here’s what we can tell is definitely suspicious:

i. Canada’s finishing.
ii. The sheer number of penalties.
iii. Macedonian technology.
iv. That many people at a friendly between Macedonia and Canada.
v. Goran Pandev playing football, much less scoring goals (Claudio Lotito does not approve).
vi. The over/under was 2.5.

Things which don’t appear to be suspicious/are unfouded:

i. The actual penalty calls – this looks like two not-so-good teams going at it.
ii. Canada’s keeper.
iii. Anything we see on this video.
iv. Goran Pandev’s use of Rogaine to mask steroid cycles.

Unfortunately both countries have been here before. Macedonia recently had a domestic club booted from Europe for fixing matches, while Canada has been caught and found guilty in the past (even though they’re reportedly off the hook here). Oh, and Bulgaria bulldozed its referees’ commission on Monday because they’re bad at best, corrupt at worst.

It’s the perfect storm.

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Category: World Football