Several Spanish Footballers Arrested for Alleged Match-Fixing

The arrested are accused of belonging to a criminal gang, corruption and money laundering.

Former ATK footballer Borja Fernandez has reportedly been arrested.

(Photo: IANS)

Several Spanish footballers, suspected of being part of a gang that fixed matches in the first and second divisions, were detained on Tuesday, news agency AFP reported quoting Spanish media.

The National Police said they were carrying out an operation to arrest 11 people in raids at different locations across the country for participating in match-fixing, money laundering and involvement in a criminal organization, reported news agency Associated Press.

According to news agency IANS, the players arrested included former Real Madrid duo Raul Bravo and Carlos Aranda, Real Valladolid’s Borja Fernandez, who played for ATK in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 editions of the Indian Super League, and Getafe’s Samuel Saiz Alonso and Deportivo la Coruna’s Inigo Lopez Montana.

According to Associated Press, the police said their investigation, named "Oikos," has led them to identify "at least three" matches in the first, second and a lower division that they believe were fixed. The suspected fix for the second-division match involved a massive increase in the amount of bets placed on the result that was 14 times greater than the average, according to police.

The Spanish league said the arrests were the result of an investigation it instigated. The league said it contacted authorities about possible match-fixing involving a second-division match in May 2018, but it did not provide details about the teams or players involved.

Additionally, the league said during the 2018-19 season it informed police of eight suspected cases of "acts related to match-fixing in lower, non-professional divisions and international friendlies."

The league said it also "sent alerts" about 18 matches in which players possibly placed bets on the outcomes of games in lower and non-professional divisions.