By Gareth Messenger
July 12 – Racing Santander have denied an allegation their 3-0 home win against Hercules on the final day of the second-division season was fixed and said they will co-operate fully with a probe by Spanish and European football authorities. Despite their victory on June 8, Santander were relegated to the third tier of Spanish football making it their second consecutive relegation.
The club are struggling to stay afloat after numerous years of financial and institutional turmoil but have blasted claims that their players were involved in a match fixing scandal.
“Racing has absolute confidence in the players in its squad and rejects any malicious report that calls into question its honesty and professionalism,” the north coast club said on their website.
“The club is the first to want to clear up the situation and will immediately make itself available to UEFA and the LFP to mount a thorough investigation of the facts published in the media.”
LFP president Javier Tebas said in April, shortly after being elected, that his priority was to stamp out alleged match-fixing in Spain and that the country had to expel the culture of “anything goes” which resulted in clubs trying to avoid relegation by buying games.
Tebas said this week that he believed the Segunda game was fixed.
“I believe it was clearly fixed and that is what the reports from UEFA and the betting firms say. What’s more, other matches, both in the first and second division, are being investigated and that takes time. There will be news,” he said.
The fixing of games, particularly towards the end of the season, has been an open secret in Spain however few individuals or clubs are ever held to account for their actions.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1746780150labto1746780150ofdlr1746780150owedi1746780150sni@r1746780150egnes1746780150sem.h1746780150terag1746780150. Gareth is Editor-in-Chief of www.laliganews.tv