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Douglas Costa: One of the few Bundesliga players who has admitted to being involved in betting fraud
Photo: Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON
Bahrs, 48, is chief detective, he has been investigating organized crime for years and, as a member of Bochum's "Soko Flankengott", fought match-fixing in football.
He has just published the book "Crimes against Soccer".
SPIEGEL:
Mr. Bahrs, when was the last time you watched a game where you thought: something is wrong here?
Bahrs:
I regularly receive reports of possibly manipulated games.
I was brought to my attention by someone just this morning about two suspicious foreign games.
SPIEGEL:
How often does that happen?
Bahrs:
Sometimes I get several tips in a week, sometimes just one in three weeks.
Due to the corona pandemic, there have been less noticeable games recently.
But even in the so-called ghost games without spectators, I get tips from people who know that I'm doing it.
SPIEGEL:
What do you do with it?
Bahrs:
First I try to find excerpts from the game, for example on YouTube, to get an impression myself.
Then I write a note and pass it on to the public prosecutor with the note: Have a look at this.
Often it ends up at the Federal Criminal Police Office because no German interests are affected.
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