Former Barcelona star handed prison sentence over LaLiga match-fixing scandal

Veteran Spanish footballer Xavi Torres has been handed a 10-month prison sentence and banned from professional football for 22 months for his role in a match-fixing scandal.

Torres, the captain of second-division side Lugo, has also been hit with a €400,000 (£350,000) fine in what is the first-ever sentence on sports corruption handed down in Spain for match-fixing. He was found guilty of being involved in an attempt to "alter the results of the sports competition".

The Supreme Court of Spain reduced the prison sentence for the player from the prosecution's demands of one year to 10 months and the disqualification from two years to 22 months.

The 36-year-old, who played twice for Barcelona in LaLiga at the start of his career, was implicated in the 'Caso Osasuna' investigation into in the 2013-14 season, when 11 individuals were accused of misusing funds at Osasuna.

Directors at the club were found to have incentivised Torres and his then-Real Betis teammate Antonio Amaya to defeat Real Valladolid on the penultimate matchday of LaLiga. Osasuna were in the midst of a relegation battle and needed Valladolid to lose to aid their cause.

Lugo have released a statement in support of the player which reads: "Based on the latest information that has appeared on the situation of the player Xavier Torres, Club Deportivo Lugo wishes to state the following…

"Having issued Judgment by the Supreme Court, in relation to the player Xavier Torres, about events prior to his integration as a worker and footballer of CD Lugo, this entity wants to express its support for him, highlighting his magnificent behaviour, professionalism, involvement and commitment shown from the beginning of his time at the club; requesting respect, both for the player and his environment."

Torres has been involved in professional football for 17 years having emerged through the Villarreal youth system in 2005. He spent the 2006-07 season at Albacete before making the move to Barcelona.

The midfielder was signed to play in the Catalan club's B team, helping them return to the third division in his debut campaign as the side were coached by a young Pep Guardiola. It would be Guardiola who handed Torres his two senior appearances at Barca at the end of the 2008-09 season, after the future Manchester City boss was promoted to the Camp Nou hot seat.

Torres then became a LaLiga regular as he joined Malaga in 2009 before spending two seasons on loan at Levante in the top flight, later moving on to Getafe. He then spent three campaigns at Betis, in which he was involved in the match-fixing scandal.

The midfielder's nomadic career continued with spells at Sporting Gijon, Perth Glory, Elche and Al-Arabi before he joined Lugo in 2020.