- Published
Manchester City being found guilty of fuelling an era of glittering Premier League success via a network of sponsorship deals, found by an independent commision to be a "sham", has shaken the world of sport.
asserted
City → publish → sport
The lure of glory and riches on the biggest stages have tempted plenty of others to cheat.
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lure → tempt → others
BBC Sport looks back on nine more sporting scandals, stretching back more than a century.
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Sport → look → century
Lance Armstrong had spent years vehemently and aggressively insisting that he had won all seven of his Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005 without the help of performance-enhancing drugs.
asserted
he → spend → drugs
Aged 25, Armstrong had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, with doctors warning he was likely to die given the disease had spread to other parts of his body.
asserted
disease → age → body
He not only survived, but returned to dominate top-level cycling.
asserted
He → survive → cycling
His Livestrong Foundation was wildly successful, selling millions of yellow wristbands to raise money to support fellow cancer sufferers.
asserted
Foundation → sell → sufferers
However, as the evidence and former team-mates allegations against him stacked up, Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles.
asserted
Armstrong → stack → titles
Armstong eventually confessed to cheating in a blockbuster interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
asserted
Armstong → confess → Winfrey
"I made those decisions, they were my mistake and I'm here to say sorry," he said, adding that the culture in professional cycling made using drugs non-negotiable.
asserted
using → make → drugs
South Africa's golden boy undone by love of money
Hansie Cronje was the golden boy of South African sport.
asserted
Cronje → undo → sport
Good looking and charming, he led the nation's cricket team with style and authority.
asserted
he → lead → style
President Nelson Mandela singled out Cronje in 1996 for the "excellent manner" in which he captained the Proteas.
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he → single → Proteas
However, Cronje's love of money, combined with a fast-growing betting industry and the organised crime it attracted, proved his downfall.
asserted
it → combine → downfall
Cronje entertained the offers of match-fixers, calling team meetings to discuss the possibility of throwing matches and sharing thousands of dollars in inducements.
asserted
Cronje → entertain → inducements
Most infamously, Cronje contrived to lose a rain-affected Test against England in 2000.
asserted
Cronje → contrive → 2000
With South Africa still in the midst of their first innings on the final day, Cronje convinced England counterpart Nasser Hussein that in the interest of sporting entertainment each side should forfeit an innings, producing a sudden run-chase and giving England a shot at victory.
asserted
side → convince → victory
Cronje was praised for his Corinthian spirit.
asserted
Cronje → praise → spirit
In reality, he had been motivated by a bribe of £5,000 to ensure the match did not end in a draw.
asserted
match → motivate → draw
Cronje was undone when an Indian police wiretap of a bookmaker caught him in discussions about fixing matches.
asserted
wiretap → undo → matches
Cronje confessed in early 2000, was banned from cricket for life and died in a plane crash two years later at the age of 32.
asserted
Cronje → confess → 32
F1's 'Crashgate' erupts in Singapore
asserted
Crashgate → erupt → Singapore
In 2008, before the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix was held at the circuit, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr knew it did not have any overhead cranes to lift a damaged car from the track.
asserted
it → hold → track
There were no side entrances to allow a stranded driver to be pushed out of danger's way by marshalls either.
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driver → be → marshalls
On lap 14 Piquet found himself in exactly in that unfortunate position.
asserted
himself → find → position
And, despite his initial claim that he had made a "simple mistake", the Brazilian had put himself there deliberately.
uncertain
Brazilian → make → himself
When Renault dropped him in 2009, Piquet Jr revealed that he steered himself into a concrete wall to crash his car.
asserted
he → drop → car
The safety car was deployed as officials cleared debris off the track.
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officials → deploy → track
Crucially, Piquet Jr's team-mate Fernando Alonso was the only frontrunner to have stopped for fuel and new tyres at the point of the crash.
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mate → stop → crash
As Alonso's rivals went into the pits, the Spaniard, benefitting from the reduced gaps caused by the safety car, moved up the field and went on to win the race.
asserted
Spaniard → go → race
While Alonso was cleared of any wrongdoing or knowledge of the plot, Renault team principal Flavio Briatore and chief technical officer Pat Symonds were banned from F1 for several years.
asserted
Briatore → clear → years
Under the cover of darkness - the Premier League fix
Frank Lampard wheeled away in celebration after his well-hit shot from the edge of the penalty area beat Kevin Miller in the Crystal Palace goal in the 65th minute of a Monday evening Premier League game in November 1997.
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shot → wheel → November
As he was mobbed by team-mates, Upton Park was plunged into darkness.
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Park → mob → darkness
The following month similar happened at Selhurst Park.
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similar → happen → Park
Thirteen seconds into the second half - with Wimbledon and Arsenal goalless - the lights went off.
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lights → go → goalless
The Christmas lights in nearby Croydon were raised as a possible cause.
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lights → raise → cause
An Asian betting syndicate had pulled the plug, using a remote control circuit breaker, to get each match abandoned at a scoreline which would maximise their profits.
asserted
which → pull → profits
The gang were foiled in their attempts to pull the deception for a third time.
asserted
gang → foil → time
They had bribed a security guard at Charlton Athletic to allow them to plant a device at The Valley before Liverpool's visit in February.
asserted
them → bribe → February
However, a suspicious member of staff at the club tipped off police.
asserted
member → tip → police
…and 42 more, not listed.
The Aporia
