Asian Champions League kicks-off, Thais under fixing cloud

SINGAPORE - The Asian Champions League kicks-off on Tuesday with the dark cloud of match-fixing hanging over one of the 32 teams involved in the continent's premier club competition.

Thailand's Buriram United, who travel to face Japanese side Vegalta Sendai in Group E, are still waiting for the result of a Thai Football Association (FAT) investigation into claims match-fixers tried to rig the result of their FA Cup final against Army United in November.

FAT head and FIFA executive committee member Worawi Makudi said last week that the Japanese official in charge of the final, which Buriram won 2-1, had reported to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that he had been offered money to help rig the result.

However, the AFC told Reuters on Monday that they had not received a report from Toshimitsu Yoshida so there was nothing for them to investigate.

Buriram chairman Newin Chidchob vehemently denied the accusations surrounding the victory that booked them a place in the ACL and criticized Worawi for hiring foreign officials.

"Both sides have spent huge sums to create their teams and we are not crazy enough to do such a thing," Newin told the Bangkok Post.

"Worawi should be the first person to take the blame because he hired foreign referees to officiate the match.

"They come and return home and do not have to shoulder responsibility. On the other hand, if Thai referees make an error, they could be punished."

Worawi had said he would report the issues to the AFC and FIFA at an INTERPOL conference into matchfixing in Kuala Lumpur last week.

The accusations of attempted match-fixing were another blow to Asian soccer which has been forced to deal with the problem recently in China, South Korea and Malaysia.