By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – Manchester United and Atletico Madrid have been rocked by the revelation that their respective midfield stars Ander Herrera (pictured) and Gabi are among more than 40 people named in an alleged match-fixing scandal that took place in Spanish football four years ago.
Spain’s anti-corruption prosecutor filed the allegations in a Valencia court on Monday following a probe into Real Zaragoza’s 2-1 win at Levante on the final day of the 2010-11 campaign that prevented Zaragoza from being relegated.
Also cited for allegedly rigging what was a decisive game was Japan’s Mexican coach Javier Aguirre – appointed after Japan were eliminated without a win at the World Cup in Brazil – who was coach of Zaragoza at the time, while Herrera and Gabi were both on the playing staff.
Former Zaragoza president Agapito Iglesias and the club itself were also named as defendants, along with the rest of the players from both teams.
In its court filing, the prosecutor alleged that the Levante players were paid a total of €965,000 in cash to deliberately lose the game. It claims Zaragoza first made bank transfers to its players and officials, including Aguirre, Herrera and Gabi, and that they then took the money out of their accounts in cash and passed it on to the Levante players to throw the match.
Zaragoza won the May 21, 2011, match 2-1 away at Levante, who had already escaped relegation that season, with two goals from Gabi who is now Atletico’s captain.
Spanish sports daily Marca said that if the case goes to trial and the accused are found guilty, they could face jail sentences of up to four years.
Last week Japan Football Association (JFA) president Kuniya Daini said that they wouldn’t have hired Aguirre if they had been aware of the scandal.
Herrera left Zaragoza to join his boyhood club, Athletic Bilbao with whom he stayed until joining United last summer for £28.8 million in one of the first signings by new coach Louis van Gaal.
The 25-year-old has made nine appearances in the Premier League so far and the news will come as a shock to United’s board and fans just at the time when van Gaal, after a slow start, appears to be stamping his authority and style on the club. Much is expected of Herrera but the Spaniard now faces a potentially long legal battle to clear his name.
A Real Zaragoza official said it had no comment to add to a September 25 statement that said it was “completely unaware” of events being investigated by the public prosecutor. The match occurred under a different board of directors, the official added.
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