The Argentine Football Association and the National Refereeing Directorate of AFA have initiated an internal investigation due to the alleged fixing of two matches.
Argentina.- After the viralization of WhatsApp conversations between referee Nicolás Jara and a bettor where they coordinated how the matches should unfold, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) decided to suspend him from his duties while an internal investigation is underway.
Jara was suspended from the trio for the match between Deportivo Español and El Porvenir, according to journalist Pablo Carrozza, there were conversations between the referee and a foreigner on how the matches should be played.
The first incident occurred on August 24. It ended with a victory of Lamadrid by 3-1 against Luján and where there was a strange penalty at the beginning of the match.
The next match under analysis was Sacachispas 0-2 Deportivo Merlo, on September 23, for the Primera B. According to the WhatsApp screenshots shown by the journalist, the bettor told Jara that the visiting team had to win in the first half and end the match with a two-goal difference.
See also: Integrity in Argentine football: efforts to have referees submit a sworn declaration to the AFA
In his investigation, the journalist also mentions the existence of transfer receipts for USD 7,000 and USD 3,500 that Jara would have received via a virtual wallet and in cryptocurrency.
It is suspected that Jara might have fixed a total of 10 matches. If his involvement in this crime is proven, the referee could be suspended for life by the AFA.
