Unravelling the Zheyun Ye football scandal: A crime script analysis of the modus operandi to commit money laundering and tax fraud

This study provides an overview of the modus operandi used in one of the biggest fraud cases in Belgian football, known as the Zheyun Ye case. The case consists of several phenomena related to betting-related match-fixing. Given the fact that money laundering and tax fraud are often essential factors in betting-related match-fixing schemes and the fragmented research on these types of financial misconducts in sports, we analyzed the modus operandi used by the fraudsters in this case to commit money laundering and tax fraud through the football sector. To accomplish this, we conducted a crime scripting analysis, utilizing the court files of the case, compromising 41 547 pages. Furthermore, we conducted qualitative interviews (n = 7) with law enforcement key informants and professionals within the football milieu to triangulate the data of the court files. By doing so, we lay down the basis for two different crime scripts of financial misconduct through football: one focusing on money laundering and another on tax fraud. Based on our findings, we conclude that during the time of the Zheyun Ye case, certain conditions distinctive to the football landscape were major contributors to these financial malpractices.