Football's great conspiracy theories

07 May 2009 17:45
Liverpool v Inter Milan, 1965:Leading 3-1 from the first leg at Anfield, Bill Shankly's side were beaten 3-0 in front of 90,000 at the San Siro in what one Liverpool director referred to as evidence that "they are never going to let a British team win the European Cup." Ian St John saw one legitimate goal chalked off, while Spanish referee Jose Maria Oritz de Mendibil allowed two controversial Inter goals to stand. [LNB]Derby County v Juventus, 1973:It is a scene immortalised in The Damned United: Brian Clough loudly informing the Italian press he would not speak to "cheating --------". Clough's first European adventure was mortally wounded by a 3-1 defeat in Italy after Archie Gemmill and Roy McFarland were booked – ruling them out of the return, which Derby won 1-0 – and Juventus substitute Helmut Haller accompanied referee Gerhard Schulenburg to his dressing room at half-time. [LNB] Related ArticlesUefa dismisses 'conspiracy' against ChelseaDrogba's TV outburstInjustice will sicken ChelseaSpanish celebrate Iniesta 'miracle'Chelsea v Barcelona: Didier Drogba says sorry but career under threatChelsea v Barcelona: ReactionLeeds Utd v AC Milan, 1973:A European Cup Winners' Cup final dominated by strange decisions from Greek referee Christos Michas, Norman Hunter being harshly dismissed and two Leeds penalty appeals turned away. The Greek FA later found Michas guilty of match-fixing in relation to events in the game and he was banned for life by Uefa. [LNB]Leeds Utd v Bayern Munich, 1975:Picking up the pieces from Clough's disastrous 44 days at Elland Road, Jimmy Armfield somehow guided the remnants of Don Revie's side into the European Cup final. Bayern won 2-0, but not before referee Michel Kitabdjian had ruled out Peter Lorimer's valid goal and denied Leeds two clear-cut penalties. [LNB]Anderlecht v Nottingham Forest, 1984:The only proven case of bribery affecting an English team's progression in Europe. Clough's Forest side won the first leg at the City Ground 2-0 only to lose 3-0 in Belgium, with a controversial goal ruled out. Anderlecht later admitted they had paid Spanish official Emilio Guruceta Muro £20,000 as "a loan" before the game. [LNB]Bobby Moore in Colombia 1970: Just weeks before England mounted their unsuccessful defence of the World Cup in Mexico, talismanic captain Bobby Moore was arrested and charged in Colombia, accused of stealing an emerald bracelet from a hotel shop. All charges were dropped but files released two years later suggest the incident was a deliberate sting on the part of the Colombian secret services. [LNB] 

Source: Telegraph