Sevilla defender Quique Salas has been accused of match-fixing in La Liga for the 2023/24 season. Credit: Luis86143429, Twitter.
Sevilla defender Quique Salas has been officially arrested by the police following a sensational scandal in which he is accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card during the 2023-24 La Liga campaign.
The investigation is being led by Spanish police, who suspect two of Salas’ close friends are involved in the scandal. The friends reportedly made around 10,000 euros in 30 separate bets on the defender to win the booking.
Salas is still under investigation, but his release has allowed him to return to full training with the team.
Salas allegedly began to be booked deliberately after Sevilla were safe from the fall.
Sevilla had already secured themselves out of the relegation zone towards the end of last year’s league campaign, at which point bets were starting to be made with the team having nothing to play for.
The Spaniard has received yellow cards in 10 of his league matches, with seven in his last nine as Sevilla take the pressure off them as they face relegation to the second division.
Salas himself played in eight games in the final stages of the season, but missed just one game against Mallorca due to suspension. Following his suspension, he was booked for five of the remaining six games and had to leave the remaining games early due to injury. However, he committed six fouls in the game, one of which was due to an altercation with an opponent.
Two more suspects detained as part of investigation
As local authorities in Seville continue to work to bring justice to the situation, two men involved in the incident were detained by police and Salas’ cell phone was taken for evidence.
A statement released by Sevilla Football Club said that the club respects the legal process but maintains the presumption of innocence on Quique Salas’ part while the case is pending.
According to Spanish law and the Football Federation’s regulations, such violations could result in players losing their playing license for up to five years, as well as being jailed for up to three years and fined. Approximately 30,000 euros.
La Liga raises awareness of the dangers of match-fixing, a concern around the world
La Liga has stepped up its campaign to educate players and their families alike about the dangers and risks of gambling, as posters plastered across professional clubs’ grounds and training centers across Spain warn of match-fixing. . In addition, players are given regular discussions during which they are strictly informed that neither they nor their families are allowed to bet on football.
Quique Salas has been playing at professional level for his boyhood club Sevilla since 2021, earning one cap for Spain’s Under-21 national team in 2024.
Match-fixing remains a major theme in soccer and a threat to the moral safety of the sport, Italian soccer players say Sandro TonaliThe player, who currently plays for Newcastle United, was handed a one-year ban after fixing a match with a friend and another player in Italy in 2023, and is said to have breached FA regulations on at least 50 separate occasions. It is being
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