El Salvador's football federation has banned 14 national-team players for life for their role in alleged match-fixing, including in games against the United States and Mexico.
Among those banned from all football activities on Friday were goalkeepers Miguel Montes and Dagoberto Portillo, Christian Castillo - a former DC United player - and William Osael Romero, who played for Chivas USA.
The bans are connected with suspected match-fixing in four matches involving the national team, including a 2-1 loss in a friendly against the U.S. in 2010, and the 5-0 loss to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup. Last month, 22 players were given one-month suspensions while the games were investigated. The small Central American country has no national team matches planned in the coming months as it investigates the scandal.
National team coach Agustin Alberto Castillo said his next squad would be made up mainly of junior players. ''It would not be prudent to call up players that have been investigated,'' Castillo said.
"People go, institutions stay," said El Salvador's federation president Carlos Mendez Flores. Flores also explained that Victor Turcios and Eliseo Quintanilla are suspended for 18 months. Players still under investigation include Benji Villalobos, Emerson Umaña and Gold Cup star Fito Zelaya.
The suspended players below have 15 days to appeal the ruling:
- Miguel Montes
- Mardoqueo Henríquez
- Dennis Alas
- Dagoberto Portillo
- Luis Anaya
- Marvin González
- Darwin Bonilla
- Cristian Castillo
- Osael Romero
- Miguel Granadino
- Ramón Sánchez
- Ramón Flores
- Alfredo Pacheco
- Reyanaldo Antonio Hernández.
