Mexican Manager Fired From Japan National Team Over Alleged Match-Fixing

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The problems faced by Javier Aguirre over alleged match fixing during a match in Spain led to his dismissal.

Japan Football Association (JFA) announced the dismissal of their coach, Mexican Javier Aguirre, after he was accused by a Spanish court over alleged match-fixing in the Spanish league.

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The president of JFA, Kuniya Daini, made the announcement of his dismissal in a press conference in Tokyo today. Aguirre had only just replaced the Italian Alberto Zaccheroni after the World Cup which was held in Brazil last year.

“We regret that this has to end this way. But we must give priority to the team,” said the president of the JFA.

The former manager of Pachuca, Espanyol and Atletico Madrid is one of 42 defendants for alleged fixing of the Levante vs Zaragoza match on June 21st, 2011. He will have to appear in court in Valencia on February 25th.

“The main goal of Japan is to qualify for Russia 2018, and we do not want to take the risk and let this situation affect the team during the qualifiers,” said the head of the JFA.

Aguirre understood when the JFA communicated his dismissal and expressed his appreciation for the opportunity he was given.

“It was a pleasure to have worked in Japan, and I appreciate the support of all Japanese fans. I wish the best of luck for the team in the future,” said Aguirre in a communication to JFA.

The Mexican manager was leading Zaragoza at the time of the alleged rigging. The prosecutors stated Aguirre’s team gave money to Levante players to let Zaragoza win and avoid relegation. Zaragoza won the match 2-1 and thus managed to stay in the La Liga…

Aguirre was dismissed after Japan national team was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the recent Asian Cup, in what has been described as the worst appearance of Japan in the tournament in the last two decades.

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