Controversial comments today from Javier Tebas, vice-president of the Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP).
Tebas believes that games last season in Spain;s top league were fixed, and has admitted that authorities are working to catch those involved.
Racing Santander boss Alvaro Cervera and Granada President Quique Pina claimed last year that Real Zaragoza’s escape from relegation had been suspicious.
And Tebas, has admitted that the League is trying to gather evidence to prove that those games alleged to have been fixed, were so.
“Games are being sold in La Liga and the cheaters must be exposed,” the LFP vice-president told Onda Cero in an interview.
“Match-fixing exists, but you need to be able to prove it to be able to impose a punishment. We are trying to uncover the cheats because there are some, and even if there is just one, for me that is a scandal.”
The LFP administrator also conceded that illegal gambling syndicates may have swayed results in Spain’s top division.
“UEFA has said that 0.7 per cent of games are bought,” he added. “In our football, that same thing could happen as went on in Italy.
“I believe that there will be a scandal someday, because it happens.
“Could there be the same percentage of games bought here as UEFA say? There could be.”
Match-fixing scandals have rocked Italian football several times in the last decade and it would be naive to think that the problem does not exist in other leagues.
The issue I have with Tebas’s comments is that he offers no proof, only rumours. Tebas is in a position of authority in Spanish football and he had to know that his comments on such a hot topic as match fixing would get people’s attention. But he needs to follow that up with real examples instead of rumours and hypertheticals.
