Scandal in Bolivia: a team reported death threats before losing by a landslide

What was supposed to be just another day of Bolivian football ended up wrapped in a report of extreme seriousness. Always Ready thrashed Guabirá 6-0 in the 19th round of the championship, but the result was overshadowed by the accusations made after the match by the coaching staff and several players from the Montero team.

Leonardo Egüez, coach of Guabirá, revealed in a press conference that goalkeeper Manuel Ferrel had received death threats before the match, directed also against his wife and his mother. "The ball has been stained, it is stained. My goalkeeper was threatened with death, his wife, his mother. If he didn't pay a certain amount or if he didn't concede three goals, they said they were going to kill them," Egüez denounced, accompanied by members of the squad.

This situation of extradeportive pressure was reflected in the first half. Always Ready scored three goals in just 35 minutes, with a brace from Argentine Enrique Triverio and another from his compatriot Joel Amoroso. Moments after the Millonario scored, Ferrel ended up being substituted and was replaced by Jorge Araúz, who immediately suffered the 4-0, credited to Javier Uzeda.

Egüez insisted that he does not know who might be behind the alleged intimidation and clarified that the complaint was not directed against Always Ready. He also called for the intervention of the authorities to determine responsibilities. "This needs to be investigated, those who need to fall must fall,” he stated.

The coach also raised the request to the sports and judicial bodies of Bolivia. "We are here to stand up, to show our faces because our prestige is at stake, our name, our institution, there is a city involved. This cannot continue, we need to cut this mafia, please president of the Republic, president of the FBF, Prosecutor's Office, imprison whoever needs to be imprisoned, but this cannot happen," he expressed.

The situation, according to the testimonies presented later, would not have only affected the goalkeeper. Víctor Ábrego, forward for Guabirá, asked to leave during the match and explained that he was afraid that any action he took could trigger reprisals.

"I left because I was scared. What would happen if I scored a goal?", the player recounted. Ábrego stated that he understood the team had to lose by a certain margin and pointed out: "I had to lose 3-0 or 4-0. What happens if I score a goal? They would kill my teammates". "The truth is that I am very scared. I thought about my family, I thought about my son, my daughter,” he added.

José Enrique Flores, defender for Guabirá, also supported the claims and called for the episode to be investigated to the fullest. The club emphasized that the complaint was not aimed at the players or the rival institution, but against the threats that, according to their testimonies, members of the delegation had received.

The stance of Always Ready

For its part, the Millonario distanced itself from any suspicion and expressed its solidarity with the Montero team. Marcelo Ortiz, the club's lawyer, considered it a situation of utmost seriousness and supported the intervention of the authorities.

"What has been reported is very serious. If it needs to go to the Prosecutor's Office and messages need to be unraveled, it should be done. This cannot happen", affirmed the representative of Always Ready, who also assured that the institution will support any necessary actions to clarify what happened.

The case is now in the hands of the relevant bodies, which must determine the origin of the alleged threats and establish whether there was any attempt to manipulate the course of the match.