MADRID, Spain — The club president of Deportivo La Coruna on Thursday denied allegations that his team was involved in fixing a recent league match, but claimed fixing has been common in Spain.
Deportivo president Augusto Lendoiro said his team “had nothing to do” with any involvement in allegedly fixing its 4-0 win at Levante on April 13, a game the Spanish league is investigating.
Levante has also denied any wrongdoing. Following the match, Levante forward Jose Barkero apparently accused four of his teammates of a suspicious lack of effort. He later retracted the accusations.
Lendoiro claimed that “almost all the games at the end of the season” were fixed two seasons ago when Deportivo was relegated.
“I am sure that when we went down it was because there were agreements between other clubs for determined results,” Lendoiro said. “Everyone knows it. What’s the matter? There isn’t any proof? Almost all the games at the end of that season were fixed in one way or another.”
Lendoiro warned that with four rounds to go, the fix could be in on games this season.
“We have many examples,” he said. “We all know what has happened these years, the media being the first. Some games could be meddled with in the coming weeks.”
Also Thursday, Spanish league president Javier Tebas said match-fixing was “a cancer we must eradicate.”
Match-fixing is a crime in Spain and can lead to prison time for individuals or expulsion of a club from official competition.