It seems Spanish authorities have much more on their plate than they originally thought. With an ongoing investigation regarding an alleged fixed match between Zaragoza and Levante back in 2011, three more games are suspected to be previously arranged in order to benefit Osasuna, Valladolid and Espanyol. All teams were fighting to avoid relegation last season, and ultimately Espanyol was the only team that kept its place in the Spanish top flight.
The first game under investigation is the one that saw Espanyol and Osasuna draw 1-1. Espanyol needed at least one point to assure their place in La Liga for the 2014-2015 season, while Osasuna needed one point to keep their hopes alive. This game raised doubts since both teams barely had any chance to score during the second half of the match, remembered by those in attendance as "an abuse to fair play", according to Spanish newspaper Marca.
Practically at the same time Espanyol and Osasuna "agreed" to draw their game, Betis and Valladolid were playing at Benito Villamarin stadium. The visitors were winning three times during the game, but in the final stretch, a very suspicious goal by Juanfran determined the fate of Los Pucelanos. The final score was 4-3 in favor of Betis, with one more round of matches to be played.
Betis(left) won the game that forced Valladolid to win their final game against Granada to keep their spot in La Liga.
The other match under investigation is the one involving Osasuna and Betis. Los Navarros needed to win 3-0 to keep their place in La Liga, but only managed to win 2-1. When the hosts scored the first goal, one of the stands fell, which forced the game to be suspended for over 40 minutes. This situation is also being investigated, since some authorities believe that somehow the team planned the wall to go down, so they could be told how the other games were ending.
Osasuna celebrating their second goal. In the end, both teams were relegated to Liga Adelante.
