The suspicion of match-fixing in the Bolivian Championship generated a domino effect in the matches already played.
For this reason, the Council of the first division of the Bolivian Championship decided to suspend all the clashes that took place this season.
The Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) announced that it would request permission from Conmebol, the entity responsible for football in South America, to promote a fast tournment.
According to CNN, there were 14 votes in favor of annulment, one abstention and two against. The new championship should last around four months, with the end scheduled for the end of December.
In a press conference, the president of the FBF, Fernando Costa, declared that serious indications of match-fixing were found in the Bolivian Championship.
On Tuesday, the 5th, the president of Vaca Díez de Pando, Marcos Rodríguez, resigned from his position.
The local press vehicle ‘La Razón’ mentioned that the investigations found an audio, supposedly by him, in which the manager would have proposed a match-fixing scheme against Nacional de Potosí.
Vaca Díez and Nacional de Potosí clashed twice last month. Potosí won the first game by 6-1, and the second by 5-0. In the previous game, in April, Vaca thrashed the same rival by 5-2.
Also according to the Bolivian newspaper, The Strongest and Nacional de Potosí were against the suspension of the competition.
Match-fixing case in the Bolivian Championship and the measures already taken
It should be noted that the accusation of alleged match-fixing in the Bolivian Championship was against six athletes, referees and two officials, who would have committed the crimes of aggravated fraud and criminal association, according to evidence delivered to the Public Ministry.
According to the FBF lawyer, Christian Camacho, this evidence is in videos, testimonies and recordings.
In a meeting held on Tuesday, the board of the first division of Bolivian football took five decisions:
- Cancel the Bolivian Championship and the Cup: everything that has been done so far would not be valid, because of the suspicion of interference through match-fixing;
- Plan a new tournament, starting in September and ending in December; this competition has not yet been properly organized or presented to Conmebol;
- Maintain direct relegations, as well as accesses;
- Give Sport TV Rights a period of 72 hours to remove Bolivia from the bookmakers.
- Withdraw from the referee commission: Alejandro Mancilla, Juan Carlos Cardozo and Wilson Estrada. They are accused of being involved in the alleged manipulation scheme.