Spanish football players arrested in match-fixing scandal

Spain's top flight football league La Liga said on Tuesday that several football players had been arrested as part of an investigation it instigated for suspected match fixing. At least two of the players had played in Spain's top divisions, according to Spanish news agencies Servimedia and Europa Press.

La Liga said it filed a complaint with Spanish police of eight suspected cases of "acts related to match-fixing" and another 18 cases of players betting on match outcomes. 

The league thanked the police service for the "extraordinary work done to dismantle what appears to be an organized criminal group dedicated to obtaining economic benefits through the predetermination of soccer matches."

Match-fixing has been a recurring problem in Spanish football. At least 24 people were arrested last February during a probe into alleged match-fixing in Spain's lower leagues.

A gang was accused of using players to force situations such as corners or penalties in games. They would then make bets on these situations.

kw/msh (AP, Reuters)

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