Five former Osasuna directors and two ex-Betis players jailed for match-fixing

Two former Real Betis footballers and five former directors of Osasuna have been given prison sentences after being found guilty on Friday of corruption relating to match-fixing in the 2013/14 season in La Liga.

They were among nine people found guilty of conspiring to fix results to help Osasuna avoid relegation from the top flight in 2014, in what the court file said was the first ever sentencing in Spain due to match-fixing.

Osasuna still went down after the team finished 18th in the table.

The case found that Osasuna paid Real Betis a total of €650 000, including €400 000 to beat their relegation rivals Real Valladolid and another €250 000 to lose to Osasuna.

The fixtures occurred in the final two rounds of the 2013/14 season.

Osasuna director Angel Vizcay was handed the longest sentence of eight years and eight months for sporting fraud, misappropriation of funds and falsifying documents and accounts.

Former Betis players Antonio Amaya and Xavi Torres were each sentenced to one year in prison for sporting corruption, given fines of €900 000 euros and banned from football for two years.

Former Osasuna directors Miguel Archanco, Juan Antonio Pascual, Jesus Peralta and Sancho Bandres were also found guilty, as well as real estate agents Cristina Valencia and Albert Nolla.

Betis beat Valladolid 4-3 on the penultimate weekend of the season and then lost to Osasuna 2-1 on the final day.

But results elsewhere meant Osasuna went down with 39 points, along with Real Valladolid on 36 points and already-relegated Betis on 25 points.