Coach of Navoi-based Kyzylkum football club’s U-19 team was caught redhandedly while he was taking a bribe of 20 million soums, the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) reported.
UFA added that the unnamed coach, although he knew that the players would be selected for the team after selection based on performance and decision of the club commission and the order of the director, used his official position to demand 20 million soums in exchange for accepting an 18-year-old footballer from Nurota district into the main squad. He was detained by officers of the State Security Service and the Department for Combating Economic Crimes with material evidence while receiving the requested amount of money.
A criminal case has been opened against him under Article 168, Part 3, Subparagraph "c" of the Criminal Code, with investigation underway.
Corruption has been a systemic problem at all levels of Uzbek football, from grass roots and youth academies level to the national team level. Coaches at all levels give priority to footballers who bribe and give presents. There is a street joke in Uzbekistan if it hadn’t been for corruption, Uzbekistan would have played Brazil in the final of 2002 World Cup instead of Germany.
