Sevilla-Las Palmas Match Fixing Mystery

Sevilla - U. D. Las Palmas

'The Shadow of La Cartuja: The Unsolved Mystery of U.D. Las Palmas in Sevilla'

Sevilla, 2004 – A season shrouded in controversy, whispered conspiracies, and a match that still haunts Spanish football.

Prologue: The Stage is Set

It was the final matchday of the 2003-04 Segunda División season. Sevilla FC and U.D. Las Palmas were locked in a desperate battle for promotion to La Liga. Only one could go up automatically—the other would face the agony of the playoffs.

Sevilla, backed by a raucous home crowd at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, needed a win. Las Palmas, sitting just three points behind, had to better Sevilla’s result to leapfrog them. Their fixture? A seemingly straightforward away game against Polideportivo Ejido, a mid-table side with nothing to play for.

The Match That Defied Logic

From the first whistle, things were… off.

Ejido, a team known for their defensive resilience, collapsed in a way that baffled pundits. Las Palmas raced to a 3-0 lead within 30 minutes. Ejido’s defenders, usually disciplined, were caught out repeatedly. Their midfielders misplayed simple passes. Their goalkeeper, usually reliable, let in soft goals.

Meanwhile, in Sevilla, tension mounted. The home side struggled against Real Murcia. If Las Palmas won and Sevilla failed to, the Canary Islanders would steal promotion.

Then, in the 70th minute, Sevilla finally broke through—1-0. But Las Palmas was still cruising, now 4-0 up. Ejido’s players barely protested. The crowd at the Estadio Municipal Santo Domingo murmured in disbelief.

The Whispers Begin

As the final whistle blew in both matches (Sevilla won 1-0, Las Palmas 4-0), suspicions erupted.

Why had Ejido fielded a weakened lineup?

Why did their players show no urgency?

Why did Las Palmas’ victory feel… preordained?

Rumors swirled of backroom deals, of shadowy figures influencing the outcome. Some pointed to Ejido’s financial troubles—were they persuaded to roll over? Others whispered of Las Palmas’ powerful connections in Spanish football.

The Fallout

Despite the uproar, no formal investigation was launched. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) dismissed claims of match-fixing for lack of evidence. Ejido’s coach denied any wrongdoing, calling it 'just a bad day.'

But the stain remained. Las Palmas went into the playoffs… and lost. They wouldn’t return to La Liga for over a decade. Sevilla, meanwhile, soared—winning multiple Europa Leagues and establishing themselves as a top-flight force.

The Unanswered Questions

To this day, fans debate:

Was Ejido’s collapse genuine incompetence… or something darker?

Why did no Ejido players ever speak out?

Did Las Palmas pay the price for a deal that backfired?

The truth may never be known. But in the dimly lit bars of Sevilla and the salty air of Las Palmas, the legend lives on—a match that stank of corruption, buried by time, but never forgotten.

Case Unsolved.

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Sevilla-Las Palmas Match Fixing Mystery

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