ZURICH: FIFA has confirmed worldwide the life bans imposed by the El Salvador federation on 14 of its senior internationals after the worst recorded matchfixing scandal in central American football writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Two other players have been suspended six and eighteen months, respectively under Articles 78 and 136 of the world federation’s disciplinary code.

In confirming the bans, FIFA reiterated its zero tolerance approach to match manipulation.

A statement saId: “Within the framework of a 10-year collaboration with INTERPOL, continental seminars are being organised with all stakeholders and online training tools are being used to alert players, coaches and officials to the dangers of match-fixing and prevent them becoming victims of this threat to the integrity of football.”

The banned 14, punished originally last month by FESFUT, included veterans such as Marvin Gonzalez (83 caps), Denis Alas (81), William Osael Romero (78) and Ramon Sanchez (77) who have been stalwarts of the national team over the past decade.

Matches which had been manipulated included a Gold Cup clash with Mexico in 2011 and friendlies against DC United and the United States in 2010 and against Paraguay earlier this year.

The first accusations emerged towards the end of July this year when El Salvador defenders Mardoqueo Henríquez and González were named by local media as having blown the whistle on team-mates for fixing the 2-1 defeat by the US in 2010.

Perumal connection

In August some 22 El Salvador players were suspended provisionally pending further inquiries. The latest punishments are the second step in the process launched by the federation acting together with the attorney-general’s office.

The fixer has been identified as Armando Jose Collado Lanuza, a defender and midfielder of Nicaragua/El Salvador background. He played for Nicaragua’s national team and for a variety of clubs including Real Esteli, Alacranes del Norte (formerly Nejapa FC) and America Managua.

In 2009, when his career was halted by serious injury, he ‘crossed the line’ after apparently being compromised by Wilson Raj Perumal, the notorious runner for southeast Asian gambling rings.

A string of suspected matches have been linked to Collado, starting with a friendly between Nicaragua and Guatemala on September 4, 2010, in Miami. Collado’s involvement would have gone unreported except that one of the players was not paid. He went to the Nicaraguan federation (FENIFUT) which extracted confessions from the others in return for an amnesty.

Subsequently Collado was banned from football for life in January 2011 by the Nicaraguan federation, a ban extended worldwide by FIFA.

FIFA has identified other anti-fix initiatives as betting market monitoring through its subsidiary Early Warning System, the creation of a virtual educational platform, a telephone line and confidential ‘hotline’ reporting system.

Suspended

The 14 banned for life are:

Miguel Angel Montes Moreno

Jose Mardoqueo Henriquez Dubon

Dennis Jhonathan Alas Morales

Dagoberto Portillo Gamero

Luis Alonso Anaya

Alfredo Alberto Pacheco

Marin Rene Gonzalez Leiva

Darwin Doromis Bonilla

Reynaldo Antonio Hernandez

Christian Giovanni Castillo Martinez

William Oael Romero Castillo

Ramon Alfredo Sanchez Paredes

Jose Miguel Granadino Leon

Ramon Ulises Flores Aguirre

Banned for 18 months:

Carlos Romeo Monteagudo Alfaro

Banned for six months:

Victor Samuel Turcios Pacheco

Eliseo Quintanilla Ortiz

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More background:

http://keirradnedge.com/2013/08/28/matchfixing-collado-case-proves-sport-needs-more-support-to-beat-the-cheats/

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