INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
France is at the center of controversy after coaches of various national teams accused the French of match-fixing following a heavy defeat
against Iran in a group stage match at the World Cup in Uzbekistan. France went down 4-1 to Iran in their match last week. A post on X by
Ricardo Iñiguez, the head coach of Libya, who were eliminated from the competition at the group stage, said the match had been a &disgrace&
for the sport.&Libya is going to file an official complaint in relation to this match for ‘match fixing&, it is a disgrace for our sport,&
Iñiguez wrote, before going on to share criticism from other figures within the sport.The Guardian reported that FIFA is looking into
claims of &match manipulation& and breaches of &the spirit of the game&, rather than match fixing.Social media posts by fans during the
match also highlighted the lackluster performance by France. In another X post, the Thailand coach, Miguel Rodrigo, said his team were
waiting to take on the French &with open arms&, but also it was a &a world disgrace& and that they had &dishonoured my sport&.Video footage
shared by Rodrigo appears to show French goalkeeper Thibaut Garros moving away from the ball in the buildup to Iran&s opening goal
The French went on to record only six shots on goal over the course of the entire match, scoring a consolation after Iran had eased to a 4-0
lead.In a statement, Fifa said it was &aware of complaints filed by participating teams at the Futsal World Cup regarding the Group F match
between France and Iran& but that &no further comment will be made while this process is ongoing&.The post France accused of
‘match-fixing& over dismal performance against Iran at Futsal World Cup first appeared on Ariana News.
