Former Romania boss says Rangers' 1992/93 Euro rivals Marseille 'bought' match against Club Brugge
The shocking allegations have never been reported by the Scottish media until now
A Romanian football legend and former national team coach has said that Marseille bribed opponents Club Brugge and the referee prior to their match in the 1992/1993 Champions League to ensure their passage to the final at the expense of Rangers.
The shocking allegations were made by Dinamo Bucharest legend Cornel Dinu in his autobiography 'Misterle Lui Mister' (which translates as 'Mysteries of the Manager').
Marseille's win over Brugge meant they progressed to the final of Europe's most elite club competition, robbing Walter Smith's side of a chance to take on Fabio Capello's AC Milan in the showpiece final in Munich's Olympiastadion.
In his book Dinu claims himself to have acted as intermediary to bribe the referee of the Marseille v Brugge match, Ion Crăciunescu, a fellow Romanian.
According to extracts of the autobiography seen by French newspaper Le Parisien, Dinu alleges he was handed $20,000 and advised that, after "several" meetings with disgraced former Marseille club president Bernard Tapie, that he refrain from showing a yellow card to defender Basile Boli in the game so as not to miss the final.
With the payment handed to the referee weeks after the match.
Of course Boli would go on to score the winner against Milan in the final, and later sign for Rangers in July 1994 for £2.7m.
Dinu, who earned 67 caps for Romania and played at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, claims he himself was the person who handed the referee the envelope with the $20,000 after picking it up in Marseille previously.
The former Romania manager also alleges that some of the Club Brugge players were also "bought" through the now-deceased Raymond Goethals, the Belgian boss of Marseille at that time.
Dinu claims Bernard Tapie told him on the day prior to the Brugge match at the Marseille team hotel: "Thanks to him [Goethals], I took all the necessary measures to prevent the Belgians from causing us trouble.
"We will win easily. Right now, he's waiting for me to tell him about the money he needs for his mission."
Marseille were found to have fixed a French league match with Valenciennes six days before the Champions League final to ensure the team wouldn't over exert themselves going into the final, without sacrificing the club's league campaign.
This saw the club forced to relinquish their 1992–93 Division 1 title, lose their right to play in the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League, the 1993 European Super Cup and the 1993 Intercontinental Cup.
While Bernard Tapie was sentenced to one year in prison for his role in the scandal.
The shocking allegations have never been reported by the Scottish media until now
A Romanian football legend and former national team coach has said that Marseille bribed opponents Club Brugge and the referee prior to their match in the 1992/1993 Champions League to ensure their passage to the final at the expense of Rangers.
The shocking allegations were made by Dinamo Bucharest legend Cornel Dinu in his autobiography 'Misterle Lui Mister' (which translates as 'Mysteries of the Manager').
Marseille's win over Brugge meant they progressed to the final of Europe's most elite club competition, robbing Walter Smith's side of a chance to take on Fabio Capello's AC Milan in the showpiece final in Munich's Olympiastadion.
In his book Dinu claims himself to have acted as intermediary to bribe the referee of the Marseille v Brugge match, Ion Crăciunescu, a fellow Romanian.
According to extracts of the autobiography seen by French newspaper Le Parisien, Dinu alleges he was handed $20,000 and advised that, after "several" meetings with disgraced former Marseille club president Bernard Tapie, that he refrain from showing a yellow card to defender Basile Boli in the game so as not to miss the final.
With the payment handed to the referee weeks after the match.
Of course Boli would go on to score the winner against Milan in the final, and later sign for Rangers in July 1994 for £2.7m.
Dinu, who earned 67 caps for Romania and played at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, claims he himself was the person who handed the referee the envelope with the $20,000 after picking it up in Marseille previously.
The former Romania manager also alleges that some of the Club Brugge players were also "bought" through the now-deceased Raymond Goethals, the Belgian boss of Marseille at that time.
Dinu claims Bernard Tapie told him on the day prior to the Brugge match at the Marseille team hotel: "Thanks to him [Goethals], I took all the necessary measures to prevent the Belgians from causing us trouble.
"We will win easily. Right now, he's waiting for me to tell him about the money he needs for his mission."
Marseille were found to have fixed a French league match with Valenciennes six days before the Champions League final to ensure the team wouldn't over exert themselves going into the final, without sacrificing the club's league campaign.
This saw the club forced to relinquish their 1992–93 Division 1 title, lose their right to play in the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League, the 1993 European Super Cup and the 1993 Intercontinental Cup.
While Bernard Tapie was sentenced to one year in prison for his role in the scandal.
Ex-Romania boss says Marseille 'bought' match against Club Brugge in 1992/1993
The shocking allegations have never been reported by the Scottish media until now
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