Filippo Di Pierro, the Italian coach of Spanish third division soccer club Eldense, has been arrested by Spanish police investigating allegations of match-fixing.
Di Pierro, was arrested after his side’s 12-0 defeat to Barcelona’s B team on Saturday.
The defeat, a joint record for Spain’s third tier, sealed Eldense’s relegation.
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The following day the club announced they would not play any more matches this season, but later backtracked and confirmed the fixtures would be honoured.
Eldense player Cheikh Saad was the first to point the finger at a number of his team mates and coach.Saad told radio station Cadena Copa that certain players stood to make “huge sums” of money from bets placed on the match.
Cheikh Saad also denounced alleged match-fixing, speaking to RAC1: “Half an hour before playing the game against Barcelona B I was starting, but before the game   they made us leave the line up. They told a team-mate this game was fixed and if he wanted to play he should not score goals. They didn’t ask me. The coach knew something, I’m sure, and the players too,” Saad said.
“The coach told me to come on and I told him I did not want to. I also told my team-mates on the bench that they shouldn’t go out on to the pitch if they didn’t want their names to be stained,” he added.
The club’s president David Aguilar then reported his suspicions to the police and the Spanish soccer authorities. In an added twist to the match-fixing saga, some in the Spanish media insist the man at the centre of the storm is the Alicante-based club’s owner, Nobile Capuani, who allegedly, has links to the Italian mafia, according to Sport.

Club owner Nobile Capuani. Is there any truth to speculations of Mafia connections at play in the match-fixing scandal?

Eldense club assistant coach Franz Ruiz, told players he was merely serving as a conduit for the coach

Di Pierro was appointed as coach after an Italian investor took control of the club earlier this season with suspicions now raised over whether that investment was linked to illegal betting patterns.
“At the very least, we must investigate it because there are certain links to an Italian group that has the look of what may be indications of an international betting ring when it comes to fixing matches,” said president of the Spanish league Javier Tebas.
There is no indication Barcelona B were involved in any wrongdoing.

First team of Club Deportivo Eldense

In an interview with Spanish radio station, Cadena Ser, Eldense defender Emmanuel Mendy said the club’s assistant coach, Fran Ruiz, had spoken to him about a plan to fix the game.
“He asked me if I was in and how much I wanted and if I wasn’t in then I wouldn’t play,” said Mendy.
Ruiz also spoke to Cadena Ser and reportedly said: “In principle the orders came from above, from the coach.
“I didn’t know what to do, I was between a rock and a hard place.
“I didn’t say a word in the dugout, I made no substitutions and I didn’t send anyone out to warm up. Then I resigned from the club.”
Barcelona first-team coach Luis Enrique has also commented on the situation, which he described as “very delicate”.
“It’s exclusively related to Eldense,” he said. “Barca B have nothing to do with it and is another victim of this racketeering.
“I’m glad that it’s being investigated and is being taken seriously.”