French clubs, Caen and Nimes, may be expelled from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 over match-fixing allegations

Caen and Nimes could be expelled from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 respectively, should match-fixing allegations be proven, the French League (LFP) president said on Tuesday.

"If corruption, match fixing were to be proven, the League would impose the necessary sanctions with the greatest severity and I remind you that it could go as far as the exclusion from the league," Frederic Thiriez told a news conference on Tuesday.

Caen chairman, Jean-Francois Fortin, was among nine people arrested on Tuesday morning, on suspicion of fixing the result of a game between his team and Nimes in 2013-14, allowing the southern club to stay in Ligue 2, according to a police source.

Nimes president Jean-Marc Conrad has also been arrested.

The game in question ended in a 1-1 draw on May 13 this year, allowing Nimes to stay in Ligue 2, while Caen virtually secured their promotion to the elite division that day.

"I confirm that searches were performed and arrests were made this morning over corruption suspicions on Ligue 2 matches last season," said LFP president Thiriez.

He added that the LFP and the French soccer federation would join a potential law suit as a civil party.

Caen and Nimes officials were not immediately available for comment.

In 1994, Olympique de Marseille were relegated to the second division over a match-fixing scandal dating back to the 1992-93 season, with the club also losing their 1993 French league title.