LA PAZ, Bolivia — The coach of Bolivian first-division club Guabirá said his goalkeeper, Juan Manuel Ferrel, received death threats ahead of Sunday’s 6-0 loss against Club Always Ready.
“We cannot conduct a serious analysis when death threats are involved. Something suspicious is happening and it needs to be investigated,” Leonardo Egüez said. “The sport has been tainted. My goalkeeper received threats against his life, his wife and his mother — he was told that if he didn’t pay a specific sum or concede three goals, they would be killed.”
While Guabirá has yet to release an official statement, the Bolivian Professional Footballers’ Union (Fabol) called for an immediate inquiry on Monday into the alleged threats received before the game at the Municipal Stadium of Villa Ingenio in El Alto.
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“What happened to the Guabirá players cannot go un-investigated. A clear precedent must be set in Bolivian football,” Fabol General Secretary David Paniagua said.
Club Always Ready legal advisor Marcelo Ortiz also urged the authorities to intervene, noting the validity of the match result was now in question.
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“Football must not be tainted. We will ask the Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate so that the sport’s integrity is preserved,” Ortiz said.
Club Always Ready is second in the Bolivian championship, trailing only league leader Bolívar. Guabirá is ninth.
