Football: Tapie questioned over match-fixing allegations

Bernard Tapie, the owner of Marseille, was questioned yesterday about allegations that the European champions 'fixed' a match at Valenciennes in May. The match referee, Jean-Marie Veniel, said in an interview that the Valenciennes players had been 'strangely passive', and claimed their directors had confronted him at half-time about their suspicions. The French League president, Noel Le Graet, confirmed that Marseille would be in the First Division when the new season starts on 24 July, contrary to reports that they were to be relegated.