'Hard to find match-fixing evidence'
Ajax Amsterdam coach Frank de Boer does not believe a possible investigation into Olympique Lyon's 7-1 Champions League win at Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday that put the French side into the knockout stage would find any evidence of match-fixing.
"On this stage a 7-1 away win is an exception. Maybe I'm naive when I think it normally doesn't work like this, but if Zagreb gave the match away they should be punished," De Boer said after a night that consigned Ajax to the Europa League.
"But I think it is hard to find any evidence in this case," he told reporters.
Lyon's victory in Zagreb, coupled with Real Madrid's 3-0 win in Amsterdam, meant the French side upset the odds to leapfrog Ajax and finish second in Group D on goal difference behind the Spaniards to reach the last 16 of Europe's elite competition.
Earlier on Thursday, online betting authority (ARJEL) said in a statement it was looking into the Zagreb-Lyon game, which is routine procedure for every match with a big score.
ARJEL are expected to announce later on Thursday whether there is any evidence of possible match-fixing.
AJAX 'GOALS'
De Boer said he was disappointed that two Ajax 'goals' were ruled offside with TV replays indicating they should have stood.
With Real leading 1-0 Nicolas Lodeiro headed the ball into the net but the linesman raised his flag and did so again minutes later when Miralem Sulejmani deflected a shot from Vurnon Anita into the Madrid goal.
"That is a bitter taste because with a 2-2 halftime score there wasn't any problem at all. Madrid weren't really determined to win this match," added De Boer.
"I can't blame the referee (Portuguese Manuel De Sousa) for his decisions as he follows his linesman, who should retire in my opinion."
"But we should only blame ourselves as we failed to clinch a point with the chances we created."
The four-times European Cup winners will issue a statement on Wednesday night's Group D matches later on Thursday.