French Club Tried to Bribe Opponents With Wine Mid-Match

We've all heard of the famous brown envelopes of cash to smooth through a dodgy deal but - naturalment - it seems the French do things a little differently.

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French sports newspaper L'Équipe are reporting allegations that Ligue 2 side Nîmes arranged to have cases of wine delivered at half-time during a crucial game with Caen last season. The match finished 1-1, which was a useful result for both clubs with the alleged 'agreement' being reached 48 hours before kick off.

Caen ended up being promoted, while Nîmes staved off relegation; at least three of their matches are suspected of being fixed to ensure that they survived.

Nothing has been proved yet, although the club presidents of both sides have been arrested by French officials. There's clearly a tip for English sides here: next time Leeds United need a result, they need only deliver a few boxes of Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire Puddings to their opponents to ensure they pick up a point or three.

[via L'Équipe]

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