The Hesse state office of criminal investigation confirmed reports on Friday that 17 football matches in Germany are under suspicion of manipulation. The Hamburger Morgenpost reported earlier that matches in the third, fourth and fifth divisions have been manipulated in the past two years for the purpose of betting fraud. The third division is the lowest professional league in the German football system, while the fourth and fifth divisions are amateur leagues. The German Football Federation (DFB) is aware of the allegations and is taking the matter “very seriously.” In some of the games in qu…