How could Zagreb lose 7 to 1? Why did Zagreb defender Vida wink at Lyon striker Gomis? A day after Ajax was eliminated from the Champions League conspiracy theories abound. Was it foul play? European football body Uefa says no, for now, writes the Volkskrant.

A wink, a stony faced assistant referee and an improbable score, for many the conclusion was obvious: bribery, the paper writes. But the group D results are not about to be amended. The authorities have ruled out an investigation, at least for now.
Two perfectly good goals
It all started with Madrid’s 3 – 0 win against Ajax in the Amsterdam Arena. The club was denied two perfectly good goals which were ruled off side. Then the incredible score of Olympique Lyon against Dinamo Zagreb meant Ajax was unexpectedly knocked out from the race for one of football’s most coveted trophies.
Surprise all around. The seemingly effortless Olympique goals were analysed and the conclusion was that the Zagreb defenders had left their dynamism in the dressing room. And then there was that wink at top scorer Gomis intimating some sort of mutual understanding. Pictures of Domagoj Vida leaving a betting shop were soon circulating on the internet but it turned out they were taken some time ago.
Bribery
The whispers of bribery and corruption were stifled on Thursday when Uefa had the betting patterns in 400 European betting shops analysed through a fraud detection system that registers all bets. Nothing untoward was found.
French online gaming authority Arjel had a look at their data and came to the same conclusion: match fixing? Non.
Not convinced
Ajax is not convinced. Director Martin Sturkenboom has asked Uefa for a further investigation but does not hold out much hope for the results. He does think Uefa will want to make sure the result of the game was not manipulated. The Dutch football federation KNVB wants Uefa to cast a critical eye on the behaviour of the Dinamo players.
But excessive betting is not the only sign all is not well, the paper writes. Usually, dubious gambling practices are confined to the lower echelons of football. The important competitions are so awash with money that referees and footballers are less likely to get involved in illegal doings. Croatian football has a doubtful reputation, says investigative journalist Declan Hill who has written extensively on match fixing.
Unbounded belief
Meanwhile football club Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas attributes the club’s result to ‘an unbounded belief in our possibilities’ while Croatian fans, rather than believe the players may have been bought, bemoan their performance.
After the game Dinamo sacked its trainer. The club heads the domestic competition chart but ended last in group D without any points.