A CUP DRAW in Romania has drawn accusations of being fixed due to the bizarre manner in which the lots were drawn.
The controversy emerged following the Romanian Cup playoff draw on Tuesday.
Xromanian cup draw[/caption]
Gabriel Bodescu, Deputy Secretary General of the Romanian Football Federation, can be seen in the video attempting to mix the balls in a small and overstuffed lottery bowl.
His co-host draws Farul Costanta, who currently sit sixth in Romania‘s top division, the SuperLiga.
Bodescu then begins mixing the balls, but always appears to remain in contact with one particular ball as he shuffles it around the pile.
He then draws that ball and opens it, announcing Costanta will face second-tier outfit Corvinul Hunedoara in the cup.
Fans were quick to point out the unusual mixing method, and took to social media to express their concerns over the legitimacy of the draw.
One user said: “They are not even hiding the fixing.”
Another added: “At least put in a lil effort.. this is just pathetic.”
One user also commented on the small size of the urns used to draw the lots, joking: “At least get a bigger bowl.”
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The Romanian Football Federation released a statement denying any implications of fixing.
They instead acknowledged their mistake in using the small bowls, referencing the effect they had on limiting the mixing ability of the hosts.
“The FRF admits that the size of the urn used for the draws was smaller than would have been ideal to ensure easier mixing of the balls.
“However, this did not in any way affect the fairness of the process, as the mixing and drawing were carried out in compliance with the procedures, in front of representatives of some of the clubs participating in this phase and live on FRF TV, guaranteeing transparency and impartiality.
“The Romanian Football Federation categorically rejects any attempt to create the impression that there was any favouritism or arrangement in the draw.”
The match in question is scheduled to kick off on Thursday evening.
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