Matchfixing in El Salvador

There has been taken action against matchfixing in El Salvador. 14 players have been punished with a life quarantine for match-fixing, according to the El Salvadoran Football Association Fesfut.

One soccer player has been assigned a quarantine of 18 months, two have been suspended for six months, while a third player was acquitted and 4 players are being investigated further, says Fesfuts President Carlos Mendez.

It has previously been suggested that El Salvador is one of the countries where the risk of match-fixing is bigger because of the bad economy and the low wages in  El salvadorian football clubs. The current case came to light in August, when a total of 22 football players in El Salvador were suspended in connection with a big matchfixingscandal, and now comes the consequences for the players.

- There has been collected evidence that there has been breach of the law, which is connected to the so-called match-fixing, explained El Salvador Football Association Fesfut in August.

  Most of the 22 players are experienced international players. Only two of the players has not appeared for the national team.The names include, among others, Ramon Sanchez, Osael Romero, Eliseo Quintanilla, Dennis Alas, Alfredo Pacheco and Marvin Gonzalez, who have played more than 50 national matches.

All 22 men are from El Salvador, and only two of the players plays abroad. Sanchez plays for FC Vostok in Kazakhstan, while Victor Turcios play for Rovaniemen Palloseura in Finland.