La Liga President Aware of Match Fixing and Vows to 'Eradicate the Black Sheep'

Spanish league president Javier Tebas has vowed to rid La Liga of the 'black sheep' that tarnishes the game after claiming that up to eight matches in the top two divisions are fixed each season.

Tebas made the claim while speaking at the Leaders in Football conference event in London where he outlined how much of a problem it has become in the Spanish game.

"Between the first and second divisions, around eight to 10 games have been manipulated [per season]. Tebas told the BBC. "If they do not eradicate it immediately, the infection will grow.

"It sounds easier for players with financial problems to be corrupted but we cannot generalise it. It happens also with players who earn a lot of money, who are comfortable but I am trying to eradicate the black sheep in La Liga.

"If we do not eradicate now, it will become like the Wild West with no laws, no control."

Earlier this year Deportivo La Coruna president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro claimed that match fixing was rife in Spain but denied his club were involved despite being investigated by the Spanish Football League for their 4-0 win over Levante on 13 April.

Lendoiro made it clear that Deportivo had never been involved in match-fixing but he did suggest that "almost all" games at the end of 2010-11 season, when Deportivo were relegated, were "fixed".

There is yet to be a report on whether the Spanish side were ever involved in rigging the outcome of matches but Tebas firmly believes there are cases in La Liga and has called for life time bans for guilty parties.

"If a player, coach, director has been directly involved, he will have a lifetime ban," added Tebas. "If he knows about it but doesn't participate and doesn't tell the authorities, he will have a three-year ban."

As well as football authorities becoming involved in stamping out any form of corruption, international police organisation Interpol have also informed the BBC that law enforcement agencies around the world are helping with the battle against match-fixing.