Asian Cup 2015: Japan coach Javier Aguirre facing match-fixing allegations

JAVIER Aguirre’s tenure as Japan coach is in jeopardy due to match-fixing allegations, as his team battle stifling conditions in Brisbane.

Japan coach Javier Aguirre gestures to his players during the AFC Asia Cup soccer match between Japan and Palestine in Newcastle, Australia, Monday, January 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

JAVIER Aguirre’s tenure as Japan coach is in jeopardy due to match-fixing allegations against him.

It has been alleged that the Japan coach and 40 others were involved in the fixing of a match in 2011 during Aguirre’s time as coach of Spanish club Real Zaragoza.

In the match, Zaragoza beat Levante 2-1 to avoid relegation.

Mexico-born Aguirre, 56, is likely to face court next month to defend himself against the fixing claims.

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Japan are worried about the conditions in a sweltering Brisbane on Friday night.

Kyodo News reported that Zaragoza “made bank transfers to Aguirre and its players, and officials, who then took the money from their accounts and passed it on to the Levante players”.

Prosecutors will reportedly allege that Levante players were paid more than $1.3 million to lose the match.

Aguirre, who was appointed Japan coach after last year’s World Cup, refused to discuss the matter at a press conference in Brisbane, where Japan will meet Iraq in a Group D Asian Cup match at Suncorp Stadium.

“I will talk only about football,” Aguirre said.

Brisbane’s stifling humidity is bringing back bad World Cup memories for Japan going into Friday night’s clash against Iraq.

Temperatures in Brisbane reached 35C in Queensland’s capital on Thursday, with the humidity level at 88 per cent as early as 5am.

Uzbekistan’s players could not cope with the Brisbane conditions in their 2-1 loss to China on Wednesday night.

Having led 1-0 at half-time, the Uzbeks faded badly in the second half, with China storming home to not only win the match, but clinch top spot in Group B.

China had the advantage of having also played their first group match in Brisbane, and it’s the same scenario with Japan’s opponents Iraq, who beat Jordan 1-0 in steaming conditions at Suncorp Stadium on Monday night.

Japan coach Javier Aguirre is under scrutiny for match-fixing.

In contrast, Japan played their opening match in Newcastle, where they beat Palestine 4-0.

Japan star Shinji Kagawa is still having nightmares about the Samurai Blue’s World Cup performance last year in Brazil, where they melted in the heat, picking up just one point from their three matches.

“I remember us struggling in this kind of humidity in Brazil,” the Borussia Dortmund midfielder told Kyodo News.

“It is really hard to get used to this heat, especially the humidity like this. You can get exhausted pretty easily and it is not easy to handle.”

Japanese midfielder Yasuhito Endo will earn his 150th cap on Friday.

“He is one of the best players in Japan,” Aguirre said of Endo.

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Japan coach Javier Aguirre facing match-fixing allegations