A former Bundesliga player admitted illegal football betting in an interview. The player, who has since retired, describes in detail how he bet on games in his own league for years – and lost around a million euros in the process.
“I have to admit: I didn’t play many games without having bought a betting slip first. I only really had fun when I bet,” says the ex-professional in an interview with “Stern”.
“In every team I was on, I knew players who bet”
The player, who wishes to remain anonymous, reports a gradual introduction through poker evenings with teammates: “I got into betting through poker,” he says. What were initially small assignments became increasingly larger sums as the salary grew. Towards the end of his career he bet “on around 25 out of 34 Bundesliga match days per season”.
Particularly explosive: The former professional does not see himself as an isolated case. “In every team I was on, I knew players who bet,” he tells Stern and estimates that “probably two to three per team” took advantage of such offers.
According to his account, the bets were made via unofficial platforms and intermediaries tailored to athletes, and settlements were sometimes made in cash. There were big wins – “sometimes 30,000 or 40,000 euros on a match day” – but in the long term he always lost: “In the end I always went for it.”
Active footballers are strictly prohibited from betting
He didn’t have a bad conscience for a long time. “I never bet on my own games,” he emphasizes, but admits that he negligently risked his career. Looking back, the fascination of the forbidden kick still predominates for him: “The adrenaline rush was always there.”
According to the statutes of the DFB and DFL, active players are prohibited from betting on competitions in which their team or league is involved. The rule is intended to prevent any form of conflict of interest and even the appearance of possible manipulation. Violations can result in severe sanctions – from fines and suspensions lasting several months to long game bans or labor law consequences from the clubs. Cases that have become known are rare, but have been consistently punished to protect the integrity of competition.
