A serious scandal has rocked football circles in Bolivia, following the crushing victory secured by "Always Ready" against host club "Guabirá" by six goals to nil, in the match between the two sides on Sunday at the Vía Inginio Municipal Stadium in the city of El Alto, as part of Bolivia's professional league.
اضافة اعلان
Guabirá coach Leonardo Iñiguez revealed in a post-match press conference that his goalkeeper, Juan Manuel Ferrel, had received direct death threats targeting his life and the lives of his wife and mother, unless he paid a specified sum of money or allowed at least 3 goals to be scored against him in favor of the rival team.
Goalkeeper Ferrel conceded 3 goals during the first thirty-five minutes of the match, before requesting his own substitution before the end of the first half, in a scene that drew widespread sympathy after he and his teammate Víctor Abrego were seen breaking down in tears.
Coach Iñiguez described what happened as "a stain on the reputation of the game," calling for an urgent investigation by the Bolivian Football Federation and the public prosecutor's office, and hinted at the possible involvement of an organized criminal group suspected of being behind this kind of practice.
For his part, Guabirá club president Rafael Paz announced that the club and goalkeeper Ferrel had officially filed a criminal complaint with the Bolivian public prosecutor's office, demanding a full investigation into the incident and disclosure of its circumstances.
Both the coach and the players stressed that they are not making any accusation against Always Ready of being behind the threats, while the winning club expressed its solidarity with the victimized team and its support for calls for an investigation.
It is worth noting that Always Ready currently sits in second place in the Bolivian league standings, behind leaders Bolívar, a position that qualifies its holder for participation in the continental Copa Libertadores tournament, while Guabirá sits in ninth place.
So far, no actual physical attacks have been recorded against Ferrel or members of his family, as the direct impact of the incident has been limited to the psychological shock resulting from the uncertainty surrounding the identity of those behind the threats and their ability to carry them out.
Resource: Al-Ghad.
