Plot to bribe Tevez - Carlos and City dragged into bet scandal

Posted Monday, June 27, 2011 by The Sun

CARLOS TEVEZ and Manchester City have been inadvertently dragged into a sensational match-fixing scandal.

While there is absolutely no suggestion either the player or the club have done anything wrong, a Greek court is examining evidence that City's Europa League game against Aris in February was the target of a betting coup.

Incredibly, prosecutors have presented extracts of a phone conversation in which one of the Greek team's players claims Tevez would be approached to help them pull off the sting.

Aris midfielder Kostas Mendrinos is heard suggesting he could ask his team-mate - former City player Nery Castillo - to persuade Tevez to let the Greek side kick off.

It is believed a bet of nearly £6,000 would be placed.

Mendrinos allegedly said: "I will speak in all probability with Castillo to go and get Tevez, who is the captain, and we will also have told Koke (Aris captain) probably here for kick-off."

The taped conversation emerged after Greek secret police bugged the phones of dozens of players and club officials they suspected might be involved in match fixing.

Tevez last night denied any knowledge of, or involvement in, the alleged scam.

His spokesman insisted: "It is impossible. Carlos has never heard such a thing and no one ever approached him."

And City last night pointed out that Tevez and Castillo never played together as the Mexican winger's loan period in England ended a year before the Argentinian hitman left Manchester United for Eastlands.

The Greek court still has not established exactly what happened or what precisely the Aris players involved were betting on.

Aris captain Koke, mentioned in the tape, did not even play as keeper Michalis Sifakis replaced him as skipper.

Although Sifakis won the toss he elected which half to play in, leaving City to kick off in a match which ended 0-0.