Bolivian Football Federation Cancels Tournaments

 Bolivian Football Federation Cancels Tournaments 

Bolivian Football Federation Cancels Tournaments (Image-Getty)

The Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) made a significant decision on Tuesday, opting to cancel both of Bolivia's top-flight football tournaments due to ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption and match-fixing.

This critical announcement followed an extraordinary meeting convened by the FBF, gathering representatives from the 17 first division clubs and delegates from nine regional football associations. Their primary agenda was to determine the fate of the national league tournament and the domestic Simon Bolivar Cup.

The FBF had taken a proactive step by filing a criminal complaint the previous Monday with the La Paz prosecutor's office. This complaint targeted various individuals, including players, officials, and referees, who were suspected of involvement in a corruption network responsible for manipulating match outcomes, engaging in bribery, and facilitating illegal betting within the football sphere.

FBF President Fernando Costa revealed during a news conference that, based on substantial evidence, it had been decided to annul both the round-robin tournament and the professional cup, as there were grave indications of their integrity being compromised.

To address this upheaval in Bolivian football, a new, shorter tournament is being planned to run until the end of the year. However, this initiative hinges on securing the endorsement of South America's football governing body, CONMEBOL. Furthermore, this new tournament will serve as the platform for determining the qualifiers for the international tournaments scheduled for 2024.