President of Spanish league Javier Tebas claims not less than eight matches in Spain’s La Liga and the Segunda divisions are fixed each season.
The BBC World Service reports that the head of the international police organization Interpol has intimated that law enforcement agencies around the world are prepared to wade into the battle against match-fixing.
And Tebas’ remarks came after Ron Noble, Secretary General of Interpol, highlighted the role widespread betting and syndicates plays in the issue of match fixing.
The head of the Spain’s top two divisions also called for lifetime bans for those involved in match fixing.
“Between the first and second divisions (of the Spanish league), around eight to 10 games have been manipulated (per season),” he told BBC’s World Football Show.
“If they do not eradicate it immediately, the infection will grow.”
Tebas, speaking through a translator, also told the Leaders in Football conference event in London he believed the main problem was coming from an international mafia.
“It sounds easier for players with financial problems to be corrupted but we cannot generalize it,” he said. “It happens also with players who earn a lot of money, who are comfortable but I am trying to eradicate the black sheep in La Liga.
“If we do not eradicate now, it will become like the Wild West with no laws, no control,”
Tebas favours the practice of severe punishments for those found guilty of the practice.
He said: “If a player, coach, director has been directly involved, he will have a lifetime ban,” added Tebas. “If he knows about it but doesn’t participate and doesn’t tell authorities, he will have a three-year ban.”
