Manchester United star at centre of match fixing scandal

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Manchester United star Ander Herrera is at the centre of an alleged match fixing scandal.

The 28-year-old Spaniard has been warned he faces being ordered onto the stand with 33 other footballers including Atletico de Madrid midfielder Gabi over a “suspect” May 2011 match between his former club Zaragoza and Levante.

Zaragoza’s then-manager Javier Aguirre faces trial along with others including the club’s former sporting director Antonio Prieto and its ex-owner Agapito Iglesias.

The trial, now being seen as a certainty in Spain, is expected to be at least six months away.

Respected regional newspaper Las Provincias claimed the 42 people involved could face prison sentences ranging from six months to four years if convicted.

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Prison sentences of less than two years for first-time offenders normally end up being suspended.

The bombshell news comes after a U-turn by Valencia-based investigating judge Isabel Rodriguez.

Last July she archived a long-running probe into Zaragoza’s 2-1 away win which kept it in Spain’s top league.

The investigation was reopened by Valencia’s Provincial Court on January 25 following an appeal by state prosecutors, the Professional Football League and Deportivo La Coruna, the club relegated as a result of Zaragoza’s win.

Reports in Spain say the main basis for the reopening of the case was the £848,450 Zaragoza paid into the accounts of Aguirre, Prieto and nine of its footballers days ahead of the May 21 2011 match - and the scarce use Levante payers made during the following weeks of their credit card and bank accounts.

Respected Spanish daily El Pais said investigators suspect the Zaragoza players returned the cash deposited in their accounts to club managers so it could be passed on to the Levante players.

It reported anti-corruption prosecutor Alejandro Luzon named Ander Herrera as the recipient of two cash sums of £44,000 and £35,000.

When she archived the case last year, Isabel Rodriguez said the existence of the bank transfers was “indisputable” but insisted she felt the evidence put forward by prosectors was not enough to consider the match had been fixed.

She said at the time the only certainty was that Zaragoza players and the the then-manager and sporting director had received money whose end use was unknown.

The same judge, who heads up Valencia Court of Instruction Number Eight, has now finalised her probe having been ordered to reconsider her shelving of the case last summer - and prepared the way for trial by concluding proceedings should continue in a higher criminal court.

Spain’s equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service will now have ten days to lodge a formal accusation against 36 players including Herrera and Zaragoza’s ex manager and sporting director and formally request the opening of trial proceedings.

Although defence lawyers can then appeal, the logical outcome would be for the trial to take place.

Las Provincias suggested criminal charges would be brought under section 286.4 Bis of Spain’s Penal Code, which covers sport corruption.

Respected Spanish radio station Cadena Ser said: “There will be a trial and we will see all the players that were called up to play the match between Zaragoza and Levante that was allegedly fixed, being ordered to take the witness stand."

Herrera has spoken about his implication in the scandal before to insist he committed no wrongdoing.

He said in December 2014: “I have never and never will have anything to do with the manipulation of the results of matches.

“If I am ever called to testify in a judicial hearing, I will be delighted to attend.”

A spokesman for Deportivo La Coruna confirmed the Valencia court ruling this morning, saying it was the result of an appeal by the club, state prosecutors and league bosses to get the investigation reopened after it was provisionally closed last year.

He said: "We asked for the case to be reopened and this is what has happened."

A spokesman for La Liga said: “La Liga does not comment on news that appears in the media.

“If we do decide to make an official comment, we will do it through the normal channels.”

No-one was immediately available at Real Zaragoza, the club where midfielder Ander Herrera began his career before moving to Athletic Bilbao in 2011 and then to Manchester United in 2014.

No-one was immediately available either at Levante Union Deportiva.