This research uses the analytical potential of General Strain Theory in the study of criminal phenomena to understand why some Portuguese professional football players engage in betting related match-fixing based on a quid pro quo. The research follows a qualitative methodological strategy focused on the documental analysis of the “Jogo Duplo” court judgment - the only betting related match-fixing case tried in Portuguese court – and semi-structured interviews with former professional football players. The findings show that national footballers are subjected to three types of strains: financial problems; lack of prospects; and reality shock. These strains increase the vulnerability of these players, but they do not explain match-fixing on their own. It is their combination with catalysts of a relational (peer influence), organisational (organisational culture) and structural (opportunity structures) nature that produces this effect. This research expands the literature by showing that material deprivation (e.g. unpaid wages, low salaries) and the anticipated loss of status or lifestyle that some footballers experience in the latter stages of their careers are not the only strain factors. Footballers in the early or middle stages of their careers but with no prospects, victims of human trafficking, and players facing an abrupt career decline or stagnation may also resort to match-fixing as an illegitimate means of achieving positively valued goals, coping with the negative stimuli experienced, or achieving accomplishments in line with created expectations. This research also contributes to advancing the literature by producing micro-level knowledge, without overlooking the meso- and macro-level influences underlying the phenomenon.

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General strain theory,Match-fixing,Strain,Peer influence,Organizational failures,Opportunity structures

• Law - Social Sciences