John Higgins: “I Don’t Know If I’m Getting Ripped Apart” — Snooker Legend Opens Up About Post-Scandal Struggles.

John Higgins: “I Don’t Know If I’m Getting Ripped Apart” — Snooker Legend Opens Up About Post-Scandal Struggles.

 

 

 

Four-time World Champion John Higgins has spoken publicly for the first time since the fallout from his 2010 match-fixing allegations, admitting he still feels emotionally torn apart by the lingering shadow of the scandal. In an exclusive interview with _Snooker Monthly_ published Thursday, Higgins revealed raw feelings about the ordeal that nearly destroyed his career: “I don’t know if I’m getting ripped apart… Some days I feel like I’ve moved on. Other days I’m back in that Kiev hotel room, hearing the words replay in my head.”

The controversy erupted in May 2010 when the _News of the World_ released secretly recorded footage showing Higgins and his then-manager Pat Mooney discussing frame-fixing deals with undercover reporters posing as businessmen. Though an independent tribunal cleared him of match-fixing, Higgins was banned for six months and fined £75,000 for “giving the impression” he would breach betting rules and failing to report the approach — a punishment that haunted him for years.

“I was exonerated,” Higgins said. “The video proved I was set up. But the damage was done. Fans shouted at me in the semi-finals of the 2011 World Championship. ‘How do you swallow that three hundred thousand?’ someone yelled. That stuck.”

Now, 16 years later, Higgins is once again under scrutiny — this time for comments made during a private conversation that resurfaced online last week. While no new allegations have been filed, social media speculation has reignited debates about his integrity. “It’s exhausting,” Higgins confessed. “I’ve won four world titles, over 30 ranking events, and still people bring up Kiev like it’s yesterday. I don’t know if I’m getting ripped apart… or if I’m just tired of fighting ghosts.”

Despite the turmoil, Higgins remains focused on his return to competition. He’s scheduled to resume playing on Nov 1, 2026, after a brief hiatus following the Players Championship semi-final loss to Judd Trump. “I’m not letting this define me,” he declared. “I’m here to play snooker, not to relive scandals.”

His resilience mirrors past comebacks: after the 2010 ban, Higgins captured his fourth world title in 2011 — silencing critics temporarily. Yet the stigma lingered, surfacing again after recent remarks hinted at frustration over ongoing doubts.

Snooker analyst Steve Dawson commented: “Higgins is one of the game’s greatest ever players. The Kiev affair was a stain, but legally and ethically, he was cleared. What matters now is how the sport supports him moving forward.”