Suspicion over Anfield romp

Besiktas thrashing under spotlight as Uefa probe match-fixing

By Chris Harvey   Last updated: 5th December 2007

Suspicion over Anfield romp

Yossi Benayoun is congratulated after scoring his hat-trick against Besiktas

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Liverpool's 8-0 Champions League win over Besiktas is under suspicion as Uefa continue to investigate allegations of match-fixing in European football.

A German newspaper claims there was 'frenzied betting on a high-scoring victory' prior to the Anfield encounter last month.

Uefa officials have refused to confirm or deny the reports.

Sueddeutsche Zeitung suggests Besiktas players could have been targeted by Asian betting syndicates ahead of the game which saw the Reds romp to a record win thanks in part to Yossi Benayoun's hat-trick.

Investigated

Uefa's director of communications, William Gaillard, has so far only confirmed an InterToto Cup clash between Makedonija and Cherno More is being officially investigated but admits a number of other games are under suspicion.

Asked for his response to the article in Germany about the Anfield game, Gaillard told the Daily Mail: "At this stage I can neither confirm nor deny the reports. There has to be a certain amount of confidentiality with these things because we could risk a source of information drying up."

Uefa, who have made no contact with Liverpool officials, are working with Europol, the pan-European police force, to investigate matches that may have been fixed by gangster-run betting syndicates.