FIFA Bans Guatemalan Players after Match-Fixing Scheme

Three Guatemalan internationals have been banned for life by FIFA after they found guilty of match-fixing.

Gustavo Cabrera, Yoni Flores and Guillermo Ramirez were found guilty of involvement in the fixing of three matches, two of them involving the national side.

The matches in question were Guatemala’s 3-2 defeat by Costa Rica in a friendly in May, a friendly against Venezuela last year and a 6-1 win by Mexico’s Santos Laguna over Guatemala’s Municipal in the CONCACAF Champions League in October 2010.

The Guatemalan FA had already banned the three for life, but FIFA’s action means the sanctions will take effect worldwide.

“The Disciplinary Body of the Guatemala FA, after having conducted complete and extensive investigations, passed their decisions on 6 September 2012, which are now final and binding,” a statement on the FIFA website read.

“FIFA’s decisions were taken following receipt of the case file, and are in accordance with article 136 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”