FRANKFURT, Feb 13 - Betting in football will be at
the top of the agenda at next month's meeting of FIFA's
executive committee as the sport's governing body looks for ways
to prevent further match-fixing scandals.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter, in Frankfurt to open a
referees' workshop, said the sport had to take heed of the
corruption case that has engulfed German football.
"The German case is a warning shot," Blatter told German
magazine Der Spiegel in a interview on Sunday.
"The topic of bets will be the most important thing under
discussion at the executive committee meeting on March 7 and 8.
We need information on unusual activity in betting."
Robert Hoyzer, the 25-year-old referee at the centre of the
scandal, was arrested on Saturday after Berlin prosecutors said
new evidence had emerged that he may have been involved in
match-fixing prior to 2004.
Hoyzer had already admitted to fixing several matches in the
Cup and lower leagues in Germany in return for money from
gamblers.
Blatter said he had faith in the game's referees and that
the scandal should not affect the 2006 World Cup, which is being
hosted by Germany.
"FIFA has absolute confidence in its referees," he said. "We
have world-wide over 720,000 referees and there can be a black
sheep now and again.
"I don't see any problems for the World Cup."