Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery have both been subject to a high stakes betting scam, it has been revealed.

The Sun says neither Benitez nor Ribery had anything whatsoever to do with the bets but their names were all that a sophisticated syndicate needed to pull off the coup.

Last week, the odds on Benitez to become the first Premier League manager to lose his job were unexpectedly slashed from 18-1 to just 6-4 in three hours.

One betting firm closed its book on the bet.

Ribery, meanwhile, was backed from 66-1 to 3-1 to join Liverpool from Bayern Munich.

Again, the majority of the bets were placed in a single day and there was absolutely no substance to the story.

Instead, there is grave concern both 'bets' were manufactured by an organised group, who deliberately placed thousands of pounds on Rafa leaving and Ribery moving in order to force the odds to tumble.

Then, with the entire market braced for both events to happen, the syndicate bet even more money on the exact opposite - Rafa to STAY at Liverpool and Ribery to STAY at Bayern!

These two instances of manipulation of a market in the last month have raised alarm bells within the gambling industry.