The French online gambling authority says its inquiry into Lyon's shock 7-1 Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb found nothing unusual. UEFA also says it found nothing suspicious about the outcome.

Prior to Wednesday evening’s match, there had been plenty of speculation on the internet about possible bribes involving Dinamo Zagreb. Dutch television showed images of Dinamo defender Domagoj Vida that seemed to support the allegations. However, ARJEL's probe found no unusual betting trends or gambling patterns.

The French team’s monster victory knocked the Dutch champions out of the competition in dramatic fashion. Ajax was ousted from the prestigious and profitable Champions League tournament because Olympique Lyon made up for a less favourable goal difference on Wednesday night through a sensational 1-7 win over a suspiciously weak Dinamo Zagreb.

Much to the indignation of its supporters, Ajax lost their home game against Real Madrid 0-3 after two Ajax goals were ruled of-side by the Portuguese assistant referee, but television footage clearly showed he made the wrong call. “This is a devastating blow,” said Ajax coach Frank de Boer. “Two absolutely perfect goals disallowed. It’s sickening. That assistant can go find himself another job as far as I’m concerned.”

Sensational
Even a draw against Real Madrid would have qualified Ajax for the Champions League final 16. Their defeat meant the results of the Dinamo Zagreb-Olympique Lyon match became vital to the Amsterdam club’s survival in the Champions League.

The changes in the score line were sensational; the teams went into the dressing room at half time tied at one-all but Lyon scored an astounding six times in the second half. Many of these goals gave the impression the Zagreb defence was giving the game away. Goalie Ivan Kelava made some very strange mistakes, as did defender Domagoj Vida.

Footage recorded after Lyon scored their fifth goal was of particular interest. In it, Vida can be seen giving a thumbs-up and winking at Lyon striker Bafétimbi Gomis, who managed to score three goals in no more than seven minutes. On Thursday morning a Croatian internet forum posted photographs of Vida leaving a Croatian bookmaker’s office holding a betting slip in his hand. Taken all together, it was more than enough to spark a flood of speculation on Twitter.

Investigation
In a post match interview, Ajax coach Frank de Boer called for an investigation into the Zagreb match: “At this level you almost never see a 7-1 victory. Maybe I’m just incredibly naive when I think this not how things normally work. But if that match was rigged, action must be taken. It’s just that it will be difficult to prove any wrongdoing.”

This is not the first corruption scandal to hit Croatian football. A few years ago, 21 suspects were charged with match rigging, including players from Croatia’s top flight.

(jric/gsh)