Three former Real Betis players charged for alleged involvement in match-fixing

A Spanish judge has charged three former Real Betis players for alleged involvement in match-fixing three years ago.

Former directors of Osasuna were also charged for allegedly paying €650,000 (£555,800) to Amaya Carazo, Jordi Figueras and Xavi Torres to help Osasuna stay in the first division in the 2013-14 season.

Court documents released Thursday showed that the money was paid to have Betis defeat Osasuna rival Valladolid in the second-to-last round and to lose to Osasuna in the last round.

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Both results happened - Betis defeated Valladolid 4-3 and lost to Osasuna 2-1 - but all three clubs were relegated. Betis had been demoted several rounds in advance.

Eighteen people were charged, most of them with links to Osasuna, including former president Miguel Archanco. The charges include fraud and sports corruption.

The judge said Osasuna directors "decided to use money from Club Atletico Osasuna to keep the club at all costs in the first division of the Spanish league, delivering different quantities of cash to players from other teams with the intent of altering the result of the competition."

The two-year investigation probed 29 people, with 11 being cleared by judge Fermin Otamendi Zozaya, including current Osasuna coach Petar Vasiljevic, a former player.

The judge said the investigation also showed that the Betis players allegedly asked for more money afterwards, but were denied because of the club's economic difficulties at the time.

The directors allegedly tried to cover up the traces of the payments by saying that the money was used in fees to two local real estate agents. The agents were also charged by the judge.