FIFA warns of match-fixing threat

Football's world governing body will open a worldwide hotline for whistleblowers next month and has promised an amnesty to players or officials who come forward with evidence of fixing.

Chris Eaton, a former Interpol officer now working for FIFA, told CNN: "No league, not even the Champions League or English Premier League, is immune to the problem and that corruption affects every level of the game.

"But it is not something FIFA alone can solve and that governments across the world need to work together to fight back."

Eaton said there was 'anecdotal evidence' that some players had been killed and others had committed suicide due to match-fixing.

"We are very concerned about the safety of players and officials," Eaton told reporters. "There is anecdotal evidence that some players have been killed.

"We have evidence of players in South Korea committing suicide because of the shame of match-fixing. There are players who pay the ultimate price for resisting or for the shame of match-fixing.

"We certainly have information in some parts of the world of threats to players and most have indicated they are under some form of threat.

"Often these players are under the control of a senior player, or captain, or technical coach, and these are the people we need to support."

Corruption cases have hit Italy, Turkey and South Korea, while there are suspicions last year's friendly between Nigeria and Argentina was fixed.