Last Sunday, fans of the Mendoza team displayed flags with messages against the squad.
Argentina.- Following the rumors of match-fixing by some members of the Godoy Cruz team, players responded to the allegations.
Last week an internal crisis erupted in this Mendoza football club. Local media mentioned that some players might have been involved in betting and that the technical director Daniel "Gato" Oldrá had begun to suspect certain behaviors after that match. There was talk of a player who, supposedly, was being sidelined from the squad for acting as an intermediary in these bets. With four dates left until the end of the tournament, Oldrá announced his departure from the club claiming that "with betting, the essence of football was lost".
On Sunday 24, after the 0-0 draw against Vélez in Mendoza, several Godoy Cruz players, along with the interim coach Ernesto Pedernera, spoke out about the allegations against them related to their alleged involvement in sports betting.
“The atrocities that were said about me, the messages and threats I received seemed totally unfair and hurt me. First because it is false and second because I always did everything possible to play each match, to show my face,” said to the media Federico Rasmussen, a player of the squad.
See also: What the president of the Argentine Tennis Association said about sports betting
In addition to Rasmussen, Pedernera also spoke about the accusations to the media: "What is said on social networks seems like everything is true. So tomorrow they smear me or you, and since we don't have time to reflect, it seems like everything is true. I've been with the squad for four or five days and never touched on the subject because I fully trust them. These players go all out, they throw themselves headfirst, and today they showed that."
For their part, on Sunday, fans displayed banners against the players with messages like: "If you're going to bet, think about your family" or "We come for the colors, not for you". But, after the match, the players gave their shirts to the fans as a gesture of peace.
For his part, José Mansur, vice president of Godoy Cruz, spoke with radio Nihuil and said: "In reality, these are versions that arise from social networks, which I think is outrageous to question the honorability of the players for nothing."
"I believe that the nobility of the people of Godoy Cruz has always been present, there is no doubt about it and if today any mistake or any sporting level that a player may have is going to link them to all these issues it seems madness, because, if not, we are going to do everything perfect in this sport, which will be impossible," continued the Tomba's executive, denying the rumors.
