Five former Osasuna executives and two former Betis Sville players were sentenced to prison terms on Friday for bribery related to match-fixing during the 2013-14 Spanish Liga season.
In total, nine people were found guilty of conspiring to fix the results so that Osasuna quickly relegated to the second division in 2014, representing, according to the court, the first conviction in Spain due to rigged matches.
The trial revealed that Osasuna paid a total of 650,000 euros to Betis: 400,000 to beat Valladolid, then rival for maintaining in La Liga, and 250,000 for the Andalusians to lose to Osasuna, in the last two matches of the season.
Betis had beaten Valladolid 4-3 and lost Osasuna 2-1, but Osasuna had still been relegated, finishing 18th, alongside Valladolid and Betis.
One year in prison for two players
Former Osasuna director Angel Vizcay was sentenced to the longest sentence, eight years and eight months in prison, for sports fraud, embezzlement and falsification of documents and accounts.
Former Betis players Antonio Amaya and Xavi Torres were sentenced to one year in prison, to pay a fine of 900,000 euros and a two-year football ban.
The former president of the Pamplona (North) club Miguel Archanco and former leaders Juan Antonio Pascual, Jesus Peralta and Sancho Bandres were also convicted, as were two real estate agents, Cristina Valencia and Albert Nolla.
Dpa
(nxp)
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