Match-Fixing Allegations Shake Panamanian Football After Alianza FC vs. San Miguelito Clash
The sport of football in Panama recently became a subject of much discussion due to a scandal involving the team of Alianza FC. Namely, this team won the match against the opponent team, San Miguelito, by scoring 3 goals against 2. However, the match was marked by the alleged match-fixing, which is why the issue garnered considerable attention.
The incident that prompted discussion of this matter occurred in the last minutes of the match and involved one of San Miguelito’s players, who made a play that resulted in a surprising own goal. The way this particular player behaved in this situation gave rise to several suspicions.
Teammate Publicly Accuses Goalkeeper
One of these suspicions turned out to be true, as one of the teammates of José Calderón, whose last-minute play led to the unexpected own goal, reacted aggressively regarding what happened on the pitch. Later on, this player publicly accused his team member of engaging in corrupt activities.
Gustavo Herrera expressed his thoughts about this case in a video message, in which he said, “Fixers, leave football.” He continued by claiming that “the love for football is carried in the heart, but many have lost it. I am speaking by name: José Calderón is a match-fixer, and he is not the only one.”
Another quote from this video includes the player’s thoughts about an example this person gives to young players: “Aren’t you ashamed? You’re doing it openly now. Everyone sees a player with experience, someone who once represented the country. Is that the example for younger players? This is very sad. There are many players who work hard to progress and achieve their dreams.”
Calderón Responds and Denies Allegations
Afterwards, José Calderón gave his official statement regarding what happened, during which he apologized for having made the aforementioned play but rejected any accusations in fixing the match.
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“I express my sincere apologies and fully assume responsibility for what was strictly a sporting and unintentional error“, José Calderón claimed.
In another point of his statement, he added: “I categorically reject any attempt to link this action to conduct contrary to the integrity of the sport.”
League Launches Formal Investigation
As a consequence of this incident, the Liga Panameña de Fútbol opened an official investigation into the case of corruption in this particular match and stressed the importance of upholding the integrity of this sport.
According to the League, the policy regarding match-fixing in the sport is the “zero tolerance” approach because it “undermines the credibility, fairness, and fundamental values of football“.
Furthermore, the officials highlighted that in Panamá, the challenges regarding ensuring the integrity of the football games are addressed “with determination and concrete actions“. This is being achieved by means of working with the Integrity Office and the Disciplinary Commission of the League.
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Source: SBC Noticias
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