Police investigating an alleged match-fixing ring targeting Spain’s top three football leagues have arrested several people, including current and former players and senior club figures.
The country’s national police force said on Tuesday that its officers had carried out nine searches across Spain in connection with match-fixing, money laundering and criminal gangs.
“We’re expecting to make 11 arrests, among them current and retired first division players, current second division players and club presidents and managers,” the force said in a statement.
“The operation has established that those under investigation made deals with different players to ‘fix’ at least three games in the first, second and third divisions.”
The statement said that the attempt to fix the division three game proved unsuccessful, leading the players involved to make up the losses by throwing another game.
Police added that one second division game had seen a surge in betting, with 14 times the normal amount of money being wagered.
La Liga de Fútbol Profesional (the Professional Football Legaue) said it reported its suspicions over a division two match in May last year between Sociedad Deportiva Huesca and Gimnástic de Tarragona.
Spanish media reported that those arrested included the former Real Madrid and Spain player Raúl Bravo, Agustín Lasaosa, the Huesca president, and several other people connected with the club.
Huesca’s lawyer, Pedro Camarero, said the mood was calm despite the uncertainty over what may happen.
“We’re not worried at the club and have said we’ll cooperate with whatever the investigation needs from us,” he told El País.
Source: The Guardian
BDST: 2003 HRS, MAY 28, 2019
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