Japan's FA have terminated the contract of the coach Javier Aguirre due to the Mexican's involvement in an ongoing match-fixing investigation. Aguirre has denied any wrongdoing after being named in a Spanish anti-corruption investigation, and the JFA had stood by him during last month's Asian Cup, reports The Guardian.
But in a news conference broadcast live on Japanese television, the JFA head Kuniya Daini said it had decided to part ways with the Mexican, fearing any court case could be a distraction during Japan's campaign to qualify for the next World Cup.
"We have decided that we will cancel Aguirre's contract," Daini said. "First of all we'd like to convey to coach Aguirre that the reason for the cancellation is that we want to avoid any influence to the national team on their preparation for World Cup and we want to avoid those risks. There is a possibility that he will be indicted and then a court case could begin."
