LFP President Javier Tebas has warned ‘developments’ are due in the League’s match-fixing investigation and teams found guilty face immediate relegation.
The Spanish Football League (LFP) last season opened a case into suspicious betting activity surrounding Levante’s home League match with Deportivo and also suspended betting on a number of Segunda Division games, also due to unusual levels of betting.
Speaking on the issue this week, the organisation’s recently-elected chief has once more made clear that developments are due, starting with Racing Santander’s match with Hercules, which has also caught the attention of UEFA.
“Before the Racing-Hercules game, we had evidence that the game was rigged,” began Tebas to reporters this week.
“I have no doubt that it was. Betting for that game was at €60,000, 60 times more than is normal for this sort of game.
“UEFA are basing their information on reports from bookmakers that the game was fixed, so they have opened disciplinary proceedings.
“The clubs are responsible for their players just as a company is for its workers.
“The League does not stop, this can be extended up to September, October, whilst if we decide to relegate teams then it will be at once.
“This is not the only game with betting levels of this type, research into Levante-Deportivo continues, whilst there are seven or eight other games, but I will not yet talk about the others because we are still working on them.
“The League are investigating other games, both in the Primera Division and Segunda Division, and these will take their course. There will be developments.
“I totally rule out that in the case that one team is sent down a League that another will be promoted in their place.
With the conference Tebas was talking at held in Heusca, he was asked if SD Huesca are also under investigation for their fixture at Recreativo last term that also saw betting suspended.
“One of my objectives is to clear the scourge of match-fixing that exists in football. If as President of the LFP I was to make allegations against Huesca, it would be because to not discuss the problem would benefit Huesca.
“I have spent four years denouncing match-fixing and it has not been taken seriously.
“If I were to not name Huesca, it would be committing a double injustice. The League has opened a file on this game. It depends not only on us, but what would follow is the relegation of the two clubs.
“We must take into account the damage that match-fixing carries.”
