Colombian match-fixing scandal attracts worldwide attention, criticism: Here’s what happened

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA - OCTOBER 20: Players of Union Magdalena gather during a match between Independiente Santa Fe and Union Magdalena as part of Torneo Clausura Liga Aguila 2019 at Estadio El Campin on October 20, 2019 in Bogota, Colombia. (Photo by Luis Ramirez/Vizzor Image/Getty Images)
By Felipe Cardenas
Dec 7, 2021

This past Saturday, the Colombian second division entered its final match day of the Clausura season. But what was expected to be a dramatic round of competition instead became an international scandal. What transpired on the pitch that day has become an Internet meme and a source of national shame for Colombia. Accusations of match-fixing and corruption have since dominated global headlines. 

Advertisement

Promotion to the first division was on the line between Unión Magdalena and Fortaleza F.C. The latter entered the day with a two point lead over Unión in Group B of the Clausura Octagonal. 

Unión is a club that calls the port city of Santa Marta home. Traditionally a punching bag for Colombia’s bigger clubs, Unión won their first and only first division title in 1968. A year later Unión made their only Copa Libertadores appearance. The club’s blue and red stripes are an iconic look in Colombia, but Unión is mostly known for launching the career of Colombian legend Carlos Valderrama in 1981. 

On Saturday, Unión were in a familiar position, once again battling for promotion and for respect in Colombia. Unión traveled to Villavicencio to face Llaneros F.C. needing a win. Simultaneously, Fortaleza visited Bogotá F.C., needing either a win or a Unión draw or loss in order to earn promotion. Bogotá defeated Fortaleza 2-1 and after 90 minutes in Villavicencio, Llaneros F.C. had a 1-0 lead over Unión. Fortaleza’s players and staff eagerly awaited to hear news of the final whistle and celebrate their return to Colombia’s Primera A for the first time since 2015. 

Instead, Fortaleza became victims of a monumental fiasco for Colombian football. Unión equalized in the 95th minute. A minute later, Llaneros F.C. defenders stopped playing altogether as Unión attackers waltzed into their penalty area to score the winner. 

“It’s a scandalous end here in Villavicencio,” said an analyst on Colombia’s Win Sports network. 

The jokes began to multiply on social media, but the laughs did little to curtail the severity of the situation. Spain’s globally popular tabloid show El Chiringuito dedicated an entire segment to the match. Host Josep Pedrerol called it “the most shameless form of deceit in football’s history.” Colombia’s President Iván Duque tweeted 24 hours after the game, referring to what had taken place as “a national embarrassment” and called for immediate investigation. 

Advertisement

“Sport demands transparency, honesty and zero tolerance in the face of any situation that delegitimizes the ethics of sports,” Duque tweeted. 

Juventus wingback and Colombia national team stalwart Juan Cuadrado was one of several prominent Colombian footballers who expressed their anger on social media. “For real, for real though, that Unión goal was a total lack of respect,” Cuadrado tweeted. Hugo Rodallega, who made 187 Premier League appearances with Wigan Athletic and Fulham, tweeted, “So sad. Our football is a f******* disgrace!”

Former Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Ángel’s reaction summed up what so many Colombians and football fans around the world had witnessed.

“This is an EMBARRASSMENT, we cannot normalize or much less reward cheating, dishonesty!,” Ángel tweeted. “What happened in the promotion game between Llaneros FC and Unión Magdalena is DISGRACEFUL from all points of view!”

For two professional sides to cheat in such a visible manner was astonishing. However, the obvious fraud didn’t deter Llaneros FC manager Wálter Aristizábal from keeping the bit going in his post-match comments with an inexplicable comment.

“In that one minute span, when they equalized, everything changed and we needed to score five goals,” said Aristizábal during his postgame news conference, presumably referring to making up goal difference. “Emotionally what could we do? Managing the state of mind and emotions (of players) is very tricky.” 

Nearly 80 miles away in Bogotá, Fortaleza head coach Nelson Flores addressed reporters in tears. Between Unión and Fortaleza, Flores’ side had the best path to the first division. The loss to Bogotá F.C. was painful, but that result wasn’t nearly as agonizing as the realization that Fortaleza, a modest club in the Capital District of Cundinamarca, had been bamboozled. 

“Personally, I believe we leave much to be desired as a society,” Flores said. “I’m a believer in doing things the right way, being honest and having integrity…what happened here today has little to do with the game itself. We as a society are corrupt…I’m not ashamed to cry because I feel as if I’ve been robbed. We can lose but not like that, not like that.”

Advertisement

In 2004 a similar scandal took place. On the last match day of the second division, Real Cartagena, Cúcuta, Valledupar and Alianza Petrolera all had seven points in Group B. Goal differential would decide which one of those four teams would advance to the second division final. Cúcuta led Alianza Petrolera 3-1 while Real Cartagena held a slim 1-0 lead over Valledupar. 

With those results, Cucutá would advance. But Real Cartagena then scored four goals five minutes before full time against Valledupar, earning a spot in the final. Investigations and complaints were filed, but then Luis Bedoya, president of the league’s governing body Dimayor, approved Cartagena’s result. In 2015, Cucutá were promoted after drawing 3-3 versus Deportes Quindío. Losing 2-1, Cucutá paraguayan striker Marcos Lazaga scored the equalizer after slapping the ball into the net with his hand. Lazaga apologized for his actions after the match and Deportes Quindío protested the result to no avail.

The players’ union in Colombia has demanded that DiMayor investigate the Unión – Llaneros FC match and late on Monday, a match-fixing inquiry was ordered by Dimayor President Fernando Jaramillo.

“Despite the evident facts that all Colombians and the entire world have seen, we’re going to respect due process and we’re going to act within the regulations and statutes that we have here in Colombia as do FIFA,” Jaramillo told reporters in Colombia. Jaramillo has requested assistance from Colombia’s public prosecutor.

Colombia’s Minister of Sport Guillermo Herrera has also pledged to abide by orders of the nation’s president. “The Disciplinary Committee and the Ethics Committee have the authority to begin the investigation,” Herrera said. 

Llaneros’ players were jeered and insulted by their own fans as they left the pitch last Saturday. Midfielder Manuel González, who entered the game in the 66th minute, sought to clear his name in a Sunday afternoon post on his personal Facebook account. González refuted the notion that he was “a sell out” or that he had been paid to fix the match. 

“I didn’t come here to talk about what happened, but sooner or later everything will come to light,” González wrote. 

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Unión has held firm. Club president José María Campo Alzamora released a statement on Monday evening in which, among other notable affirmations, he claimed that the club has always been characterized by their “honesty and transparency in sport.”  Campo Alzamora also demanded that the “image and good name” of Unión Magdalena be “respected” and he welcomed the league’s investigation. 

Carlos Barato, president of Fortaleza FC, told Colombian outlet Futbolred that the club will challenge Unión’s promotion in court. Barato added that he’s skeptical of the effectiveness of the league’s Disciplinary Committee, but said that he’s confident in the evidence at hand. Barato described his reaction to Unión’s controversial victory. 

“As soon as our game was over we heard about Unión’s 95th minute goal. I said ‘I hope this isn’t what I’m thinking,’” he told Futbolred. “But a minute later I’m told about the second goal, and honestly, I collapsed. I asked to see the video and I admit that I couldn’t help but cry…the way the Llaneros players stopped playing was disgraceful, humiliating for football and for those of us that love the game and believe in honor.” 

As a country, cleaning up the image of professional football in Colombia has been a nearly impossible task. Decades of corruption and fan violence have marred the minimal strides that have been made. The scandal between Unión Magdalena and Llaneros FC underscores the depth to which some cheaters will go, while shining a light on their disrespect for authority. 

(Top photo of Union Magdalena in 2019: Luis Ramirez / Vizzor Image / Getty Images)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Felipe Cardenas

Felipe Cardenas is a staff writer for The Athletic who covers MLS and international soccer. Follow Felipe on Twitter @FelipeCar