Unravelling Controversy: The European Bridge League’s Battle Against Cheating Allegations
In the midst of a contentious upheaval, the European Bridge League finds itself entangled in a web of controversy as multiple teams opt to boycott matches against Italy amidst accusations of cheating.
As anticipation mounts for the forthcoming European circuit’s grand competitions, a shadow looms over the realm of bridge.
Allegations surrounding Fulvio Fantoni’s involvement with the Italian team during European Bridge League qualifying bouts for the esteemed World Team Championships and European Champions’ Cup have spurred a widespread boycott against Italy’s Open Team. The catalyst? Fantoni’s purported history of deceit. Scotland set a precedent by declining to engage with the Italian contingent, prompting a domino effect as other nations followed suit, as per reports from The Telegraph.
“It’s a travesty,” lamented a bridge player from an opposing team in an interview with The Telegraph. “A prevailing sentiment within the bridge community is that he ought not to have been deemed eligible.”
Should all adversaries uphold their refusal to compete against Italy, the ramifications could prove dire, potentially resulting in Italy’s exclusion from the tournament’s ranks.
Yet, amidst the tumult, the European Bridge League’s governing body retains the prerogative to grant Italy entry into the tournaments, as disclosed by sources to The Telegraph.
“The event organizers possess the authority to confer qualification upon Italy based on prior performance,” divulged an anonymous member of the EBL executive committee to The Telegraph. “Resolution awaits the culmination of the qualifying contests on Saturday. With no precedent to guide us, and lacking explicit regulations for addressing teams’ mutual refusal to compete, resolution remains elusive. The situation is fraught with complexity.”
The Telegraph’s expose unveiled Fantoni, aged 57, as a subject of enduring controversy marked by unproven accusations of deceit. Allegations trace back to the 2014 European Championships, implicating Fantoni alongside his erstwhile partner, Claudio Nunes, who purportedly manipulated their cards to signal the strength of their hands.
Enter Maaijke Mevius, a Dutch amateur bridge player and physicist affiliated with the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, whose astute observation uncovered a pattern in Fantoni and Nunes’s card placements. Mevius discerned a consistent alignment—either horizontal or vertical—used by both players as a covert means of conveying hand strength.
According to The Telegraph, Nunes attributed these actions to a momentary lapse in judgment, denying any intent to deceive with claims of “un momento di obnubilamento” or a temporary mental blackout.
Subsequent investigations conducted by the EBL, the Italian Bridge Federation (FIGB), and the American Contract Bridge League corroborated the allegations, resulting in their prohibition from the sport in 2016.
Undeterred, Fantoni and Nunes contested the verdict before the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS), where, in 2017, the CAS ruled in their favour, citing insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations. With the cloud of suspicion lifted, Fantoni and Nunes were reinstated for EBL and FIGB competitions.
The qualifying matches, conducted online, extend until August 28th.