Football
Paul Murphy 6y

Thailand FA boss Somyot vows to 'name and shame' match-fixers

Football Association of Thailand (FAT) president Somyot Poompanmoung has vowed to name and shame those involved in match-fixing once the findings of a police investigation have been released.

Somyot admits that Thailand has a problem with the manipulation of results in the domestic game. But he declined to give more specific details as it is an ongoing matter for the police.

"Right now, I know who are involved in match-fixing -- they are from teams playing in domestic leagues," Somyot told the Bangkok Post.

"I am waiting for the return of national police chief [Chakthip Chaijinda] and we will then hold a news conference to reveal the names of those involved."

Somyot reiterated concerns about refereeing standards, but stressed that referees were not the only problem.

"There are people who try to influence them [referees] in different ways," Somyot said. "We must target those who try to manipulate match results."

Somyot's comments come days after he admitted that there was a problem with the lack of trust in Thai referees. While foreign officials have previously been appointed for games in which there have been fears of bias, Somyot does not believe that this is the best solution.

Thai referees will take charge of proceedings in the League Cup and FA Cup finals next week, and Somyot reckons that this is an opportunity to prove their worth and, more importantly, their impartiality.

"We have reached a stage that even the local fans don't trust the Thai referees and it is hurting the image of our country," Somyot said.

"I have been warding off calls to get foreign referees to officiate in important FA Cup and League Cup matches.

"As the chief of Thai football, it is my job to encourage the Thai referees and I would like to see them perform their duties in a befitting manner.

"The finals of the League Cup and FA Cup have been been assigned to Thai referees and I hope that they would make the most of these opportunities and prove themselves."

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