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| - Czech Football Association (FACR) deputy head Roman Berbr stepped down Monday after being put in custody the day before over suspected match-fixing, the FACR said in a statement. Berbr is one of 19 people detained by police last Friday as part of an organised group. A club director, a former player and a former referee have ended up in custody too. The FACR said it had also dismissed its referee department and that it would boost control over match-fixing and hire new referees. "This is the beginning of a long journey on which Czech football must win back the trust of fans, partners, and the broader public," FACR head Martin Malik said in a statement. "We are all guilty," he added. On Friday, police raided the FACR's Prague headquarters and other places linked to football across the country. Berbr, a 66-year-old former referee, has held his post since 2013 and according to local media has been pulling the strings in Czech football for years. Media have made allegations over Berbr in relation to corruption cases and bullying at the FA, but he has never been charged. Malik's predecessor Miroslav Pelta, who resigned in 2017 after being detained on charges of bribery and abuse of power, now faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted. frj/dmc
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