There is a new allegation of match-fixing against Ligue 2 side Nimes, according to LE PARISIEN. The match in question is between Nimes and Ligue 2 side Istres on April 18. Reports revealed an intermediary named Abdelnasser Ouadah, “who currently works for France Televisions network as a consultant,” approached at-the-time Istres player Cyril Jeunechamp to “play poorly” against Nimes on April 18. In return for his cooperation, Jeunechamp was “to be offered a contract with Nimes at the end of the season, although he is said to have refused the proposal.” Since Nov. 18, French football “has been immersed in a corruption case that includes several clubs and club leaders” who were approached by Nimes managers and shareholders to “take their foot off the gas” during certain games in order to maintain Nimes’ spot in Ligue 2 last season. This is the seventh Nimes match from last season that is “under suspicion of corruption” (LE PARISIEN, 1/2). SPORTS.FR’s Yannick Sagorin reported Jeunechamp denied the accusation on Friday. Jeunechamp said, “Two days before the match, a friend, Nasser Ouadah, calls and tells me he knows the investors in Nimes and they are interested in me coming the next year, for maintenance. I told him, ‘I am still under contract with Istres until June. I will finish the season and we will see.’ The discussion stopped there. At no time did anyone ask me to slow down. There was talk of Nimes with the president and I talked to him about this. Maybe he interpreted this information differently. I never said that I was asked to slow down” (SPORTS.FR, 1/3).
