Soccer-Former keeper denies involvement in Bulgarian match-fixing

Reuters

SOFIA, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Former Bulgarian top-flight goalkeeper Daniel Gyaurov has denied being involved in attempts to manipulate matches at last month's Under-19 European Championship. "I'm completely innocent," former Lokomotiv Sofia and Vidima-Rakovski keeper Gyaurov said in local media on Saturday after being released from custody. "I don't know who did this to me but it's disgusting." Gyaurov, 20, suspected of being a key figure in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the Balkan country, was held for 24 hours after he was arrested following a joint operation involving the interior ministry and the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) on Friday. "His aim was to manipulate Bulgaria matches at the European Championship," BFU spokesman Pavel Kolev told Reuters after Gyaurov's arrest. Bulgaria Under-19 coach Alexander Dimitrov said he decided to drop one unnamed player after receiving information about "some controversial contacts". "Some of the players told me one of their team mates had contacted and asked them to throw games," Dimitrov said. "I talked to him and he confessed everything. He seemed very worried, I think he may have been threatened but it's something the investigation should reveal. I released him of course, there's no way he could be in my squad." Police have already questioned several individuals including players from the Under-19 squad. "I and three of my friends met with some of the (Under-19) national team players at a petrol station (near the town of Pravets where the team was preparing for the tournament)," Gyaurov, who has since retired, said. "We know each other from the (soccer) fields and the national team. But I only asked them if they're keen to join a team. I don't want to reveal the name because of the ongoing investigation. "Then we wished them luck at the European Championship and we left." Bulgaria lost their three games and finished bottom of Group B without scoring a goal at the tournament in Hungary. Reports of match-fixing and corruption have been rife in Bulgaria for many years. (Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; editing by Josh Reich)