Keylor Navas and ex-Fulham star Bryan Ruiz are accused of plotting to DELIBERATELY LOSE matches to get Costa Rica’s former manager sacked, with a contract clause leading to the axe if they lost three games in a row
- Keylor Navas, Bryan Ruiz and Celso Borges have denied claims of deliberately trying to get their ex-manager sacked and have brought a defamation lawsuit
- It is alleged they knew of a contract clause which meant three straight defeats would signal the end of Jorge Luis Pinto’s time in charge of Costa Rica
- Navas said ‘it is something that has not left our mouths nor will it ever happen’
- Allegations are from 2014, after Costa Rica’s historic World Cup campaign
Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas and former Fulham star Bryan Ruiz have been accused of plotting to deliberately throw Costa Rica matches in a bid to get then-coach Jorge Luis Pinto sacked.
The claims, which were first made in 2018 and have since triggered a lawsuit from the players in a bid to clear their names, detail that Navas, Ruiz and a third player – Celso Borges – were aware of a clause in Pinto’s contract that meant he would lose his job should the team lose three matches in a row.
It is alleged that the players complained of disagreements with Pinto, known for his heavy-handed management style, and conspired to get him sacked in the wake of their impressive performance at the 2014 World Cup.
Keylor Navas has been accused of deliberately plotting to lose games to get a manager sacked
Navas (left) and Celso Borges are among the three players launching a defamation lawsuit
It is alleged the players knew Jorge Luis Pinto would get sacked if he lost three games in a row
A former president of the Costa Rican Football Federation was in court on Monday as a witness for the defence, after Navas, Ruiz and Borges triggered a defamation lawsuit in an attempt to prove their innocence, asking for £43,400 in compensation.
Eduardo Li’s comments were disclosed by local media in Costa Rica, with the ex-president quoted as telling the court: ‘I remember that it was Keylor Navas who told me: We lose 3 games, there is a clause like this and like that.
‘Such was this issue that I made the decision not to renew Pinto,’ Li said.
Li confirmed that the clause stipulated that three consecutive defeats for the team meant the leadership could automatically terminate the contract of the manager.
The trial began last Friday with Navas making a statement via video link from Paris, where he now plays for PSG.
According to local reports, the former Real Madrid goalkeeper admitted he was ‘very surprised’ at the claims, insisting he did not plan to deliberately lose matches.
The allegations are from 2014, just after Costa Rica had enjoyed a stunning World Cup in Brazil
In the tournament, Costa Rica drew against England and eventually topped the group
‘It is something that has not left our mouths nor will it ever happen, because we have been professional footballers for many years, where we have earned an honour and prestige,’ he explained, according to the newspaper Diario Extra.
The time-frame of the allegations is said to be in the latter half of 2014, between Costa Rica reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup and the end of Pinto’s tenure in charge of the team.
At the tournament, Costa Rica were in a group with England, Italy and Uruguay, eventually finishing top while the Three Lions were bottom.
After progressing from the group stages, they beat Greece on penalties, before narrowly missing out on a place in the semi-finals following a shoot-out defeat to Holland.
Navas watches a Daniel Sturridge shot go wide during Costa Rica’s game against England
Navas says of the claims: ‘It is something that has not left our mouths nor will it ever happen’