By Monica Villar
May 3 – The LFP are to investigate match-fixing allegations in the Spanish Primera match between Levante and Deportivo, played April 13 at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium. The match ended with Deportivo thrashing Levante 4-0.
During half time, with Levante already 3-0 behind, Spanish media have reported that José Javier Barkero entered Levante’s dressing room and angrily confronted his team-mates, especially Munúa, Juanlu, Juanfran and veteran Ballesteros. Barkero supposedly shouted that he “didn’t want to participate in this lie of a match” and claimed the match was a “farce”.
Reports say that this turned into a heated argument in the dressing room that only calmed down when manager Juan Ignacio Martínez intervened.
Yesterday (May 2), Barkero apologised publicly and privately to the players involved, speaking at a press conference he said, “I have apologised to my team mates, to all of them, to the four – Munúa, Juanlu, Juanfran and Barkero – for accusing them of something that is not true. I’m sorry because I think I have hurt them a lot their image, their person, their families and I think they don’t deserve it because they have given a lot to this club”. Barkero said that in this case he’s “the person in the wrong” because he “accused them of something that didn’t happen”.
But newly elected LFP President, Javier Tebas, is not taking any chances. He has said the LFP will open an investigation into the match. The LFP has already held a meeting with AFE (Spanish Footballer’s Association) and the matter has now been handed to the anti-corruption investigators.
If found guilty, the players of the clubs involved could be sanctioned with a ban from two to five years, and the club would face a six-point deduction.
Players on both sides say they are innocent of any wrong-doing, with Juanfran saying he thinks it’s good that the LFP has opened up an investigation, but that he has a clear conscience. Deportivo striker Riki is angry that people think that Deportivo’s recent good results are because of match fixing, saying that “If Deportivo are out of the relegation zone it’s because we deserve it”. He also feels that Deportivo have enough to worry about without having to give this a second thought.
Deportivo manager Fernando Vázquez similarly defended his team. At a press conference early on Wednesday he said that “it is offensive to this club” that people think they could be guilty of match-fixing. He added: “What I think is incredible is that someone can think that we, when we can just about pay our footballers, have the resources to do any wrong-doing.”
Vázquez, who was visibly upset by the claims, also sent a message to Barkero by insinuating that people could ask about his missed penalty against Celta last week: “Us, Deportivo supporters, have a clear conscience, I don’t know about Barkero’s”.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734799199labto1734799199ofdlr1734799199owedi1734799199sni@r1734799199alliv1734799199.acin1734799199om1734799199. Monica Villar is news editor of leading Spanish football website www.laliganews.tv