Sports law professor Marjan Olfers and criminology professor Toine Spapens will lead the project, which will last three months, the paper said.

Sports minister Edith Schippers decided last summer to set up the investigation, following on from a hotline she had set up for athletes to report bribes.

The researchers will talk to athletes, officials, sports associations and gambling bodies in an effort to find out if the problem exists or is widespread in the Netherlands.

Real chance

Last June, Labour MP Jeroen Recourt told the NRC there is a ‘very real chance’ that Dutch football is embroiled in major match fixing. The MP said tips point to corruption centering on the Jupiler League (first division).

Recourt claimed to have being given ‘multiple’ tips about match fixing in the Netherlands but declined to give further information.

In 2010, European football body Uefa said it had not found any evidence of match fixing in the Dutch first division, following reports two matches were under investigation.
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