Herrera’s ‘Conscience Clear’ Over Fixing Probe

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera declared that his conscience was “totally clear” on Tuesday after he was one of 41 people named in a Spanish match-fixing probe.
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Spanish prosecutors allege that Herrera was one of 18 Real Zaragoza players who gave hundreds of thousands of euros in cash to Levante players to let them win a May 2011 league game they needed to win to avoid relegation.
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Herrera, 25, played in the match in question, which Zaragoza won 2-1. He moved to Athletic Bilbao later that year before joining United last June in a £28.8 million transfer.
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Writing on Facebook, he said: “In an on-going legal process involving Real Zaragoza (Spain), the club I was honoured to play (for) from 12 until 22 years of age, there are 41 people cited as possible witnesses, of which I am one. I have never had and will never have anything to do with manipulating match results.
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“If I am ever called to testify in any judicial hearing, I’ll be happy to attend, as my conscience is totally clear. I love football and I believe in fair play, both on and off the pitch.”
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According to Spanish state prosecutors, Zaragoza paid a total of €965 000 into the bank accounts of its coaches, staff and players, who gave the money to Levante’s players as a “bribe”.
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Zaragoza’s directors, coaches and captains “agreed… with the consent of the rest of the players, to fix the match”, the prosecutors alleged.
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Zaragoza won the match 2-1 against Levante, who had already escaped relegation that season, with two goals from their then-captain Gabi Fernandez.
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Spanish sports daily Marca said on Monday that if the case goes to trial and the accused are found guilty, they could face jail sentences of up to four years.
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Japan’s Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, then coach of Zaragoza, and Swansea City’s Ecuadorian winger Jefferson Montero, who played for Levante at the time, are among the people named in the investigation.
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When asked about Montero’s alleged involvement in the affair, a Swansea spokesperson said: “We have had no contact from anyone regarding the matter.”