ZURICH (AP):

FIFA banned 74 more officials and players from world football yesterday for helping fix matches, this time in Italy and South Korea. Sanctions were extended globally on 70 people, including 11 life bans, after a series of cases prosecuted by Italian football authorities.

FIFA said the charges involved "match-fixing (direct involvement or omission to report match-fixing), illegal betting or corrupt organisation (association to commit illicit acts)".

Prosecutors in Cremona, Bari and Napoli have pieced together a conspiracy they believe was organised from Singapore to bet on rigged Italian football matches.

Last week, Italian authorities detained suspect Admir Suljic, a Slovenian national, when he landed in Milan on a flight from Singapore. Suljic, allegedly an associate of Singaporean businessman Tan Seet Eng, faces charges of criminal association and sports fraud.

Tan, also known as Dan Tan, is accused of heading a crime syndicate that has made millions of dollars gambling on fixed matches around the world. Singapore police said last week that Tan was assisting its investigation into alleged match-fixing.