Ivan Leko was released by authorities after being charged with money laundering.GETTY IMAGES
Belgian prosecutors said on Friday that they charged 19 people, including two football referees, football agents and the coach of Belgian side Club Brugge, with fraud or match-fixing, according to Philip Blenkinsop of REUTERS. The offenses "ranged from" criminal organization to money laundering and corruption, federal prosecutors said. Nine of the 19 remained in custody, including agents Dejan Veljkovic and Mogi Bayat, charged with having "set up schemes to hide fees paid to themselves and to players," and referee Bart Vertenten. Ivan Leko, the Croatian coach of Club Brugge, was among those released, "although he is charged with money-laundering." He returned to training on Friday. He said, "I will fight back. This is not the first time I was on zero ... I didn't deserve this." Of the others charged, a number are officials at clubs KV Mechelen and Waasland-Beveren, which played each other on the final day of the regular season in March. Prosecutors suspect that match, won 2-0 by Mechelen, and another match a week before when Antwerp beat Mechelen's relegation rival, Eupen, 2-0, were fixed (REUTERS, 10/12).
