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STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Former Premier League football player Dickson Etuhu is facing trial in a Swedish court Thursday to face a match-fixing charge, which he denied.
Etuhu played in the World Cup for Nigeria in 2010 and has had a long career in England with Manchester City, Preston North End, Norwich, Sunderland, Fulham and Blackburn Rovers before moving to Sweden.
He is accused of attempting to bribe a goalkeeper to repair the outcome of a league match between his former club, AIK Stockholm, at IFK Göteborg.
The match was scheduled to take place on May 18, 2017, but was postponed after goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos told AIK that he had been approached by Etuhu and another man for the purpose of fixing the match, according to the preliminary protocol of 473 pages seen by Reuters.
Etuhu said his former teammate misunderstood the conversation.
"I respect everyone's opinion, but the facts remain the same.It has never happened … It's amazing that a regular conversation with a friend can lead to something of that kind, "Etuhu told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
The offense of mass bribery is punishable by up to six years' imprisonment.
Etuhu, 36, and his lawyer, Johan Akermark, both declined to comment before the trial, which was held in Stockholm District Court.
(Report by Philip O & Connor, edited by Robin Pomeroy)
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