Stuani, current forward for Girona and then playing for Levante
Leo Franco was the goalkeeper for Real Zaragoza in that season. Both were investigated along with 34 other players from both teams, based on a complaint made by the current president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, regarding what a former Zaragoza player told him.
The Alleged Match Fixing
According to the complaint, Zaragoza paid 1.7 million euros to the Levante players to deliberately lose and avoid relegation. Levante lost that match 1-2 and Deportivo de La Coruña was the team affected, being relegated to the second division.
Ruling by the Court
The Court of Penal number 7 in Valencia concluded on Monday that it cannot be proven that the money went to the Levante players and rejects the claim that the match was fixed.
Conviction for Document Forgery
The judge does, however, convict two former Zaragoza executives of document forgery, sentencing them to one year and three months in prison.
Acquittal for the Players
The individuals convicted of private document forgery are former president Agapito Iglesias and former financial director Javier Porquera. They manipulated the players' payrolls to hide the destination of 1.7 million euros, which they took out of the club due to its imminent bankruptcy.
Absolution for the Footballers
As a result, the 36 former players from Zaragoza and Levante, including some who are still active such as Ander Herrera, Paulo Da Silva, Vicente Iborra, Cristian Stuani, Gabi Hernández, as well as Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, have been acquitted of a crime that could have also led to their sporting disqualification.