'3:0→3:4' High School Soccer Match Fixed? Court Says "Suspicious but Lacks Evidence" [Seocho-dong Legal Story]

Directors File 'Invalidation of Disciplinary Decision' Lawsuit Against Korea Football Association... Win in First Trial

Two coaches accused of match-fixing in the 2019 high school soccer tournament recently won the first trial in a lawsuit against the Korea Football Association seeking to nullify disciplinary decisions. The photo is unrelated to the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

The match held on August 15, 2019, in Hapcheon, Gyeongnam, as part of the 55th Autumn Korean High School Football Federation Tournament. At that time, Coach A and Coach B were respectively the head coaches of C High School and D High School, and they were in a group of four high schools competing for only two 'Round of 16' spots.

C High School dominated D High School by scoring 3 goals in the first half. However, the atmosphere drastically changed from the second half. Starting with a penalty kick goal at the 54th minute, D High School scored an astonishing 4 goals (54th, 55th, 70th, 71st) within about 20 minutes to secure a come-from-behind victory.

Immediately after the match, suspicions of 'match-fixing' arose. It was alleged that C High School deliberately lost the game to benefit D High School. Both schools advanced to the Round of 16 together, surpassing other schools in the same group based on total points and goal difference.

The match supervisor who observed the game wrote the following report around 2:30 a.m. the next day.

- At the 34th minute of the first half, with C High School leading 2-0, C High School substituted a total of 7 players with first-year students over about 10 minutes.

- From around the 56th minute of the second half, C High School defenders frequently showed only the appearance of following D High School’s attacks without active play.

- Around the 71st minute, the C High School goalkeeper, despite having many teammates nearby, passed the ball toward the opposing attacker, allowing the 4th goal.
- Based on the above circumstances, the supervisor considers this an abnormal match.

Referees, parents, and football officials who watched the match also supported these suspicions. The referees said during the Korean High School Football Federation’s investigation, "The atmosphere of the match felt 'strange,'" and "In all my years of refereeing, I have never seen such a case. Personally, I think this is evidence of match-fixing."

Based on the sanctions imposed after several reviews by the Federation, the Korea Football Association (KFA) decided on May 21, 2020, to suspend both coaches for 7 years due to 'match-fixing and defamation.'

Coaches Claim "No Match-Fixing"... File Lawsuit Against Sanctions

However, Coach A and Coach B denied the allegations, claiming "We did not fix the match, nor did we defame any football organizations or individuals," and filed lawsuits seeking to overturn the KFA’s decision.

The KFA, on the other hand, rebutted by stating "The disciplinary action was justified." They submitted the supervisor’s match report, testimonies from referees and parents as evidence to the court. They also submitted a related audio recording allegedly from a D High School player, which contained a voice saying that Coach B instructed, "The defenders will step aside, so go in and score."

The Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 48 (Presiding Judge Lee Gi-seon) recently delivered a first-instance verdict after about a year and a half of hearings. The court ruled in favor of the two coaches, stating, "The grounds for disciplinary action are not established, so the sanctions are invalid."

Court: "Although Suspicious, Evidence is Insufficient... KFA’s Proof is Weak"

"There is considerable suspicion that the match result was manipulated to ensure D High School’s advancement to the main tournament..." (Judge)

The court, having directly reviewed the match footage, also found several questionable aspects in the match. In particular, it noted that "All seven substitutions were used by replacing players with first-year students, and despite conceding 4 consecutive goals due to passive and risky defensive plays, there was no tactical adjustment."

Below is the video of the match uploaded on a YouTube channel at that time. (https://youtu.be/sENfDEK0AWI)

Nevertheless, the court stated, "There is no direct evidence to prove match-fixing based solely on the evidence submitted by the KFA." Ultimately, it must be proven that Coach A instructed C High School players to 'intentionally play negligently or make mistakes to concede goals,' but there is no such evidence.

The referee evaluator’s testimony at the KFA Fairness Committee that "C High School’s fundamentals are very strong, so even first-year players perform much better" also supported this ruling. Regarding the submitted audio recording, the court judged, "There is no way to verify whether the voice is actually from a D High School player."

The court also pointed out the KFA’s weak proof. It added, "The KFA did not submit meaningful evidence and did not actively cooperate in summoning witnesses who could provide crucial clues," and "The disadvantage caused by the uncertainty of the truth must fall on the KFA, which bears the burden of proof."

Since the period for filing an appeal has not yet expired, the KFA is reportedly considering whether to appeal.