Tuesday 16 December 2014 13:28, UK
Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has denied any involvement in a match-fixing scandal in Spain.
Herrera is accused with a group of other players of paying another team to deliberately lose a match three years ago while at Real Zaragoza.
Swansea winger Jefferson Montero, who was at Villareal at the time but on loan to Levante, the other team involved in the match-fixing claims, is also one of 41 people who have been named by Spanish prosecutors investigating the allegations.
Herrera has strongly denied any involvement, writing on his Facebook page: “I have never had, and will never have anything to do with manipulating match results. However if I am called to testify in any judicial hearing I’ll be happy to attend as my conscience is totally clear. I love football, and I believe in fair play on and off the pitch.”
More details of the accusations emerged on Tuesday after the Spanish prosecutor's office filed charges with a Valencia court on Monday.
An investigation carried out by the anti-corruption prosecutors' office alleges that 965,000 euros - £768,000 - was paid in cash by the-then Real Zaragoza coach Javier Aguirre and nine of his players, including Herrera, with their club's consent, to the Levante players ahead of their La Liga game in the 2010-11 campaign.
Zaragoza won 2-1 at Levante's ground in Valencia on May 21, 2011, a result that meant they avoided relegation to Spain's second division.
A court document provided by the General Prosecutors' office states: "The Public prosecutor has filed an action in a criminal court in Valencia against the people mentioned in the document for alleged sporting fraud regarding article 286…of Spain's penal code."
The case prosecutor, Alejandro Luzon, considers that "it was established that 965,000 euros (£768,000) would be handed to Levante in exchange for them allowing Zaragoza to win the game.
"The funds in cash reached the Levante players before the match as part of the remuneration as part of the agreement for Real Zaragoza's win."
I have never had, and will never have anything to do with manipulating match results.
According to Luzon, "to establish the bribe, the funds provided by Real Zaragoza were taken out in cash by some club members", of which it is claimed Herrera was one.
The document shows that 50,000 euros were deposited in the accounts of Aguirre, financial director Francisco Porquera Perez and nine players on May 19, 2011.
Real Zaragoza and their former club president Agapito Iglesias are named in the document.
Levante players, including Swansea's Ecuador winger Montero, but none of their coaches or club executives, are on the list. Also named in the document is Atletico Madrid captain Gabi, a member of the Zaragoza team at the time.
A Swansea spokesman, asked about Montero being named, said: "We have had no contact from anyone regarding the matter."
Herrera, who has represented Spain at U20, U21 and U23 levels, scoring in the final to help win the 2011 European U21 Championship, moved to his home town club Athletic Bilbao in February 2011.
He became new Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal's first signing in June this year. He joined on a four-year contract for an undisclosed sum, having activated a buy-out clause after United's initial offer of £28.85m was rejected by Athletic.
