The ringleaders of the gang on trial in the Europe-wide football betting scandal have been handed jail sentences of five-and-a-half years after the court in Bochum gave their verdict on Thursday. The pair - Ante Sapina and his main accomplice known as Marijo C. - were the leaders of a gang which bribed players and officials in matches across Europe to influence results and they then placed heavy bets on the matches.
During the six-month trial, the defendants confessed to influencing around 50 matches across Europe including a low-profile Champions League game and a World Cup qualifier. An accomplice Dragan M. was also given an 18-month suspended sentence. According to the German courts, Sapina made a profit of 2.4 million euros by betting on matches in which he already knew the result. Since their arrest, Sapina has already served 17 months in custody, while Marijo C. has served 18 months in jail.