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AOCAF XVIII RP Thread

Posted: Feb 5 2007, 08:13 PM

Manhattan Herald – 6th February 2007

Following unrest and accusations of fraud in the recent AOCAF from multiple sources, the Manhattan Football Association is debating today whether to make a formal complaint to UAOFA.

Many nations seem discontent with the fairness of recent results, with Pacitalian manager Sergei Saganyarov being the most vocal discontent claiming "There's just no way in hell that Starblaydia, Vilita and Turori, Bettia, Hypocria and Nedalia, let alone our own squad, could have all dropped the ball"

Manhattan Prime returned in shame from Myrtannia with 0 points for their efforts, although under-fire manager Ian Pierce declined to comment when questioned about match-fixing earlier today, although sources within the MFA admitted the recent AOCAF featured far too many 'surprises' with top ranked teams like Pacitalia, Nedalia and Starblaydia suffering group stage defeat to seemingly inferior opposition, and many fancied teams being dumped out of the competition earlier whilst the host’s performance was unexpected to say the least.

"Myrtannia are a strong side" an unnamed source commented, "and you'd be foolish to underestimate them. But reaching the final? Surely that should have been a step too far".

The MFA's decision is expected to be published shortly.

Manhattan Prime

Royal Scribe

Posts: 194

Posted: Feb 10 2007, 02:10 AM

Nojikan FA requset formal investigation by UAOFA
A formal complaint and investigation request have been filed by FA President Alansa and national manager Alsn

ROZIER, NOJIKA -- Few people have ever dreamt that the most prestigious regional football competition in the world could be filled with conspiracy, lies, and corruption. But that’s just where the nightmares began for millions of fans around Atlantian Oceania.

Even before the Atlantian Oceania Cup of Association Football had completed its 18th installment, rumors of conspiracy and match fixing had begun to surface as teams expected to do very well seemed to disappear behind those nations expected to do very poorly. It however, became clear that nobody dared to speak out against the hosts in fear that their nation would in fact do poorly do to the apparent biased referring throughout the competition. Even world renowned media outlets failed to print stories accusing the Myrtannia and Lamoni officials of conspiracy.

In a press conference today at the Football Association’s headquarters in Imperial City, President Davido Alansa released a statement in regards to The FA’s own investigation into the allegations. Though Alansa did not state the exact findings of the inquiry, he did not deny that there was “something absolutely suspicious” surrounding the competition and called the officials and referring a “careless disgrace of the game and competition.”

“It pains me to think that anybody would dishonor this marvelous competition in this way. But we believe there is substantial evidence that the leading AOCAF officials and referees were involved in an elaborate scandal,” said Davido Alansa, President of the [Nojikan] FA, “We have completed our broad investigation, and with our limited resources, have determined that a more in depth investigation by the Union [of Atlantian Oceania Football Associations] is necessary.”

Further fueling the fire, Alansa stated that he, like Pacitalian manager Saganyarov, is advocating a three-tournament suspension for Myrtannia and a one-tournament suspension for Lamoni; “Should a conspiracy be exposed, we must not allow these cheaters to get away free. There must be a punishment for Myrtannia, Lamoni and any nation willing to cheat their way to the top in the future.”

“It’s absolute bull-explicitive removed- that the management of the Dryads and Hawks have taken everybody to be complete idiots and absolutely void of any common sense,” said national manager Jerrel Alson, “I’m personally offended that they felt they felt we were stupid enough not to catch on to their ways.”

“In addition to the suspensions that have been suggested for both involved parties, I request that The FA and every other regional association boycott the results in protest of these frauds and their supposed earned trophies.”

The Union of Atlantian Oceania Football Associations has yet to make announcement in regards to the complaints made by the Federazione di Futaboli Pacitaliana, the Pacitalian Football Association.

Nojika

Senator in Training

Posts: 214

Posted: Feb 11 2007, 01:26 AM

LFA reacts to "Childish Namecalling"

Adding to the untrue rumors of any Lamonian being involved in a 'conspiracy' during AOCAF XVIII, the Nojikan FA have requested a formal investigation by the UAOFA.

This biased and (we think) politically motivated call has followed the wake of the also untrue allegations of Pacitalian manager Saganyarov; who is calling for suspensions for both Lamoni and Myrtannia. While the LFA cannot and will not be taken as the mouthpiece of the MAFC; they CAN and HAVE categorically denied all such accusations as untrue, and biased.

All games in which Lamonians were involved were reviewed by the nations of Bazalonia and Demot, in order to prevent anything untwoard from occuring. While lots of people in both Lamoni and Myrtannia loved watching the AOCAF XVIII cup match, there was no trickery or conspiracy or even fraud perpretrated by any Lamonian official. The LFA DEMANDS a full and immediate apology from both the Nojikan and Pacitalian media, forthwith.

Lamoni

Democratic Maniac

Posts: 1952

Posted: Feb 11 2007, 02:12 AM

OOC: Me and ESF both were told of scores generated by Lamoni before Myrtannia posted the official scores and can vouch that scores as provided by Myrtania were the ones we were told of.

IC:

Bazalonian officials apparently unfussed by such allegations and simply say.. "The official results were what actually happened on the field." before going on to other duties

Bazalonia

Eating A Bazalope Burger

Posts: 774

Posted: Feb 11 2007, 03:19 AM

OOC: That doesn't prove anything. If they made up the scores or simmed until they got good results or whatever they wouldn't need to show you scores different from the ones they were going to post. Unless you saw there screen as they entered the numbers you can't verify they weren't cheating. But similarly you can't prove they were cheating. It's all circumstantial.

IC:

From the desk of Noz-Tf

We here in Az-cz suggest that this issue get dropped. While we admit that the cup was highly unlikely, there is no concrete evidence that anything unbecoming happened. We don't support an action to ban either team or to strip Lamoni of its title. If anything shoul d be done it should only be a reduction of ranking points for the two nations. But mostly we hope this is a lesson to the nations of Atlantian Oceania to more carefully consider the hosts and their history when choosing the host.

Noz-Tf
President Az-cz Football Federation

Az-cz

Senator in Training

Posts: 246

Posted: Feb 11 2007, 03:43 AM

Saganyarov: I won't apologise
Pacitalian manager tells the LFA to grow up and to "stop ignoring the problem"

TIMIOCATO (PSN) -- After an inflammatory report from the Lamonian Football Association (LFA), which responded to allegations and reports in the media that it conspired with the hosting organisation, the Myrtannian Association of Football Clubs (MAFC) to cheat in AOCAF18, Pacitalian manager Sergei Saganyarov was once again on the offensive.

Saganyarov was livid that the Myrtannians had not yet responded to the allegations, leaving the Lamonians to desperately fend for themselves on the issue.

"It's crucial that [the Myrtannians] stop ignoring the problem," he said. "Ignoring and denying this does not make it all go away. The fact remains: they freely cheated, abused the sport and the tournament, and then they have the audacity to deny it. It's shameful behaviour. This only increases my desire to nail them to the wall for this disgusting act they've committed. I realise it is more likely that our evidence is circumstantial and that we are perceiving misuse of the system. But, even so, the burden of proof rests with [the LFA and MAFC] that they didn't cheat. When they prove it, we'll stop pursuing this. But if you can't even so much as spare the balls to address this issue in general, when so many fans and some football associations are grumbling and wondering openly about the veracity of the results, maybe you need to demand housecleaning at your end rather than seeking an apology which you don't deserve."

In its rebuttal, which is being criticised by media outlets and fans for looking more like a poorly-edited secondary school newspaper article than an actual press release, the LFA demanded an apology from both the Nojikan and Pacitalian media, likely for publishing Saganyarov's and Nojikan Football Association president Davido Alansa's comments. The LFA accused the FdFP and NFA in turn of "childish namecalling".

"Seriously? What a bunch of goons," Saganyarov replied, chuckling in earnest, when told about the LFA's demand of an apology from the Pacitalian media. "First of all, show me where we called you names. Don't turn this into something like a fight between teenage girls, because this is a serious issue, and you are insulting both sides of the argument by pretending that this is something trivial and that it's as simple as namecalling. Secondly, why are the media to blame for this? If you have something to say or demand, talk to me, say it to my face, and stop hiding behind such a weak counterpoint."

In true Saga style, he finished with a character response to a question about what he would try to accomplish, or what he would say, if a meeting ends up taking place at UAOFA headquarters to hash out the problem.

"I'd say grow the (expletive) up. That's what I'd tell them if I ever got a one-on-one meeting. Then I'd get up and leave."

Pacitalia

The best place on earth.

Posts: 505

Posted: Feb 11 2007, 02:36 PM

MAFC Denies Match-Fixing, Calls For End to Finger Pointing

ooc: These accusations are absolutely ridiculous, in my opinion. I can say with complete honesty that I had nothing to do with the generation of scores for any Myrtannia matches. Lamoni did, as Bazalonia stated, scorinate my matches, and Baz scorinated the final. I agree that there were more upsets than usual in this AOCAF, but it's just what happened. As Az-cz pointed out, you have no proof of wrongdoing by anyone. In my opinion, the best course of action is to let the AOCAF XVIII results stand, and drop the issue. If it makes anyone feel better, I will be willing to sit out AOCAF XIX voluntarily, if everyone will just drop this.

HALOSEN - In their first official statements since the end of the now controversial AOCAF XVIII, the Myrtannia Association of Football Clubs at last responded to allegations of match-fixing and conspiracy. Present were the MAFC's chairman, the MAFC's AOCAF commission chief, the president of the Myrtannia Referee Union (MRU), and Dryads chief Zentrescu.

"These charges are serious ones, but unfounded. AOCAF is the longest running tournament in the region, and we would never abuse the privelege of hosting it. I can't stress enough that there was absolutely, positively, no match fixing on the part of the Myrtannia Association of Football Clubs," the commisssion chief stated.

"So things didn't go exactly as anyone planned on the pitch? That's what happens. With all the talk and this and that, it's all about what happens in ninety minutes on the pitch. I think some people are just being rubbed the wrong way because things didn't go their way this time," the MAFC chairman announced candidly, "Just deal with it, come back four years later, and give it another go."

While not demanding an outright apology, the MAFC offered as proof of impartiality the back up officiating by the LFA. This officiating was overseen by Bazalonian officials as well, to ensure complete impartiality in all Myrtannia matches. Bazalonia has already made the simple statement of "The official results were what actually happened on the field."

Furthermore, coach Zentrescu, a Pacitalian, issued a challenge to the accusers, "You ask for proof of innocence on Myrtannia's part, yet you have no proof of conspiracy yourselves. Is that a double-standard? It's my feeling that all of this is over-reacting on both sides of the issue. Lamoni hasn't helped by insisting there's been name-calling. This really isn't a childish arguement, but a serious discussion of ethics."

He went on to state, "I will make this clear as I can - there was absolutely no cheating on the part of the MAFC or the LFA in officiating the most recent AOCAF."

As evidence toward their innocence, the MAFC offered the case of AOCAF XVI, when no one batted an eye at Lamoni doing well in the group stage, then reaching the final. At that time, Lamoni held a regional rank close to that which Myrtannia held going into AOCAF XVIII. If there were no questions asked then, why should there be now?

"We urge all sides to drop the issue," pleaded the MRU's president, "A ban on participation in the tournament is drastic and unneccessary. Stripping Lamoni of its rightful title is also a gross overreaction."

In conclusion, the MAFC chairman added, "We are willing to sit down and talk with the concerned parties, but this back and forth arguing and denying is solving nothing. If there are still questions about this issue, we will refer them to the Bazalonian authorities, who recieved the same officiating results from the LFA as we did."