Spanish courts Banned Six Players After finding them guilty of match-fixing

Spanish courts Banned Six Players After finding them guilty of match-fixing. 

On Friday, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced that six players had earned extended bans from tennis after Spanish courts found them guilty of match-fixing and convicted them on criminal charges.

The players were found guilty in Spain as part of a larger investigation involving organized crime, according to the ITIA. They were sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to more than 22 years.

Two players are ranked: Marc Fornell Mestres and Jorge Marse Vidri, while the other four are unranked: Carlos Ortega, Jaime Ortega, Marcos Torralbo, and Pedro Bernabe Franco. They’d all been given a two-year suspended sentence.

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Mestres received the harshest sentence, a 22-year ban from the ITIA and a $250,000 fine, of which $200,000 is suspended. They are unable to play or coach as a result of the suspensions.

In a statement, ITIA CEO Jonny Gray said, “This is one of the most substantial infiltrations of tennis by organized crime that we have witnessed.”

“We applaud the involvement of law enforcement authorities and the prosecution of entire criminal networks rather than simply the individuals implicated. This decision sends a strong message that match-fixing is a serious offense that can result in criminal charges.”