Major Scandals and Cheating Incidents That Left a Mark on Sports History
BBC Sport has compiled nine of the biggest cheating, bribery, and scandal incidents in sports history, ranging from Manchester City to Lance Armstrong.
BBC Sport has examined nine major scandals spanning over a century that shook the sporting world with their ambition for fame, wealth, and deceit.
Manchester City and Financial Investigation
The discovery that Manchester City secured funding in the Premier League through a network of sponsorship deals ranks among the events that shook the sports world.
Lance Armstrong's Tour de France Confession
Lance Armstrong maintained that he did not use doping during his seven Tour de France victories won between 1999 and 2005. Later, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, he confessed to cheating, and his titles were stripped.
Cricket Bribery and Betting Scandal
South African cricket team captain Hansie Cronje accepted bribes to lose matches by collaborating with the betting industry and syndicates. Cronje confessed to his crime and was banned from cricket for life; he died in a plane crash two years later.
Deliberate Crash at the Singapore Grand Prix
During the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix in 2008, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally crashed his car into a wall so that his teammate Fernando Alonso could win the race. Renault boss Flavio Briatore and technical director Pat Symonds were banned from Formula 1.
Electrical Sabotage in Premier League Matches
In November 1997, during Premier League matches, an Asia-based betting syndicate attempted to manipulate match scores by cutting power using remote-controlled circuit breakers. Those involved in the incident received prison sentences.
Sochi Olympics Doping Scheme
At the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Russian hosts swapped urine samples containing banned substances with clean ones through a secret tunnel and operatives disguised as sewage technicians. Forty-three Russian athletes received lifetime bans.
Nancy Kerrigan Attack in Figure Skating
In January 1994, figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was targeted in an attempt to injure her leg by a person hired by the ex-husband of her rival Tonya Harding. Harding was banned from the sport for life.
World Series and Paralympic Games Scandals
Eight players from the Chicago White Sox accepted bribes to lose the 1919 World Series and were banned for life. Additionally, it was revealed that the majority of Spain's intellectual disability basketball team at the 2000 Paralympic Games did not have disabilities, and their medals were revoked.
In 2004, as a result of wiretaps by Italian prosecutors, attempts to influence referees and corrupt activities by clubs such as Juventus, Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Reggina were uncovered.