The Spanish Football League (LFP) will investigate La Liga side Deportivo La Coruña's 4-0 victory at Levante on April 13 on suspicion of match-fixing, according to FOOTBALL ESPAÑA. The LFP and Player's Association (AFE) met this week and "were reported as discussing the issue of the Week 31 match." The LFP and AFE have decided to send all possible information on to the Anti-corruption Office to investigate any signs of match-fixing and to take appropriate action (FOOTBALL ESPAÑA, 5/2).
BARKERO APOLOGIZES: The London TELEGRAPH reported at halftime of the game, Levante midfielder Javier Barkero was reported by local media to have accused some of his teammates "of not trying, sparking a confrontation in the dressing room." On Wednesday, Barkero said, "I have asked for forgiveness from everyone and especially my four colleagues whom I have wrongly accused." An LFP spokesperson said, "Any game where there is suspicion will be investigated with all the tools available to the LFP" (TELEGRAPH, 5/2).
ZELJKO KALAC SUSPICIOUS: FOOTBALL ITALIA reported former Italian football club Perugia goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac "has suggested the relegation play-off between Perugia and Fiorentina in 2004 'was fixed.'" Kalac made the allegations during an interview with Sports Fan Clubhouse. Kalac: "I got relegated with Perugia. We had to play a playoff match against Fiorentina. Obviously Fiorentina is a massive club, Perugia was just a little club. It'd be fair to say it was scandalous, the way we got knocked out. I'm going to say the game was fixed, because we could not cross the halfway line without the ref pulling the game up. That was the first time I'd seen something like that, I couldn't believe it. I'm talking two matches, so 180 minutes of football, and we had no chance to win" (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 5/2).
