Football Association boss to blame for match-fixing scandal, says Buriram's Newin
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Buriram United president Newin Chidchob has called on Football Association of Thailand president Worawi Makudi to take responsibility for the match-fixing scandal surrounding November's FA Cup final match between his side and fellow Thai Premier League o
Buriram won the final 2-1 to clinch their second successive Cup triumph and an AFC Champions League play-off spot. However, Toshimitsu Yoshida, the Japanese referee in charge of the game at Supachalasai Stadium, reported he was approached by unknown persons who asked him to rig the match.
Protesting his club’s innocence, Newin, who has clashed with the Thai FA boss many times in recent years, said Worawi, rather than either club, should take responsibility for the scandal, given that the Japanese referee was hired by the FA.
“Both Buriram and Army had nothing to do with what happened. It was the association itself who hired a foreign referee for the game. So it would be better to ask them [about the scandal] instead of us. Both of us have invested a lot of money to develop our teams.
“The league itself has grown in the right way so far. We have no time to do or even think about such things [as match-fixing]. Only those who haven’t had to invest anything could do such a thing.
“No team knows who will be in charge [as referee] before a match. We only know their nationality. So, how could we contact them before the game? The people who can easily make contact with the officials are those who brought them in. ”
Newin further revealed he has long opposed the FA’s policy of hiring foreign officials for matches in domestic competitions.
“We have had a strong stance from the beginning against employing foreign officials for domestic matches, because they can leave for home after the game without taking any responsibility. It’s different with Thai officials, who can be held responsible should they do anything wrong.
“I agree that we should take strong action against anyone found guilty. Personally, I believe the first person who must take the responsibility is Worawi, as the one who hired the official.
Japanese referee Yoshida is himself no stranger to controversy. He was suspended by Asian soccer’s governing body the AFC in 2005 for misinterpreting the law on penalties during a World Cup qualifier.
