After a 22-1 victory, investigation for “suspicion of fraud” on an amateur match between Arles and Septèmes

A score of 22 goals to 1 at the final whistle, that’s an unusual result in football! It is however the one on which parted, Sunday, May 8, AC Arles and FC Septèmes, two amateur clubs playing in Regional 2, the seventh level of French football.

The outcome of the match, which was part of the penultimate day of the championship, immediately aroused many reactions and created controversy. To the point that the Mediterranean League, on which the two clubs depend, took up the case and that its disciplinary committee was to officially open an investigation, Wednesday, May 11.

“I asked my services to open a disciplinary file of suspicion of fraud with an investigation”, said Tuesday to Agence France-Presse, Eric Borghini, the president of the League.

Leveling up at stake

The result of the match raises all the more questions and suspicions as it allowed AC Arles to regain the lead in the championship ahead of FC Martigues, first place being synonymous with climbing to the next level, Regional 1.

Before this match, Martigues was the leader ahead of Arles: the two teams were tied on points, separated only by goal difference (+ 3) in favor of Martigues.

According to several witnesses, FC Septèmes did not field its usual team, but its reserve team. And it was not complete, which led the coach and an educator over 50 to put on the crampons…

In Martigues, Alain Nersessian, the president, does not hide his anger: “It’s a real scandal. We are obliged to ask ourselves questions and to doubt this result. Obviously we will look into this match, in order to be able to understand what could have led to this unimaginable score.

“We wanted to end the season without forfeiting”

“All week, the Arles players have worked to prepare for this decisive match in the home stretch of the championship, at the rate of four training sessions”, argued the Arles club, in a press release published Monday, May 9 and posted on its Facebook account. The coach, Michel Estevan, particularly insisted on attacking work,” added the club to explain the magnitude of the score.

“Logic would have us take 30 or 40 goals”for his part declared Salah Nasri, the president of FC Septèmes, to the daily Provence, Monday. “We wanted to end the season honourably, without forfeiting, and thus maintain the ethics of the championship”, he added of the squad composition. “I would never have done that knowing the noise it was going to make. I would have agreed on a result that was not going to alert everyone. »

The decision of the Disciplinary Committee will be communicated at the end of a procedure which should last several weeks. The committee must appoint a rapporteur to investigate this match. This will hear the referee of the match, the delegate and the leaders of the clubs.

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