Sevilla FC Player Kike Salas Arrested for Alleged Illegal Betting
Kike Salas, a 22-year-old defender for Sevilla FC, was arrested on Tuesday by Spanish National Police on suspicion of involvement in an illegal betting scheme. According to reports, Salas is accused of deliberately getting yellow cards in matches to benefit friends who were placing bets on those outcomes.
The investigation reportedly focuses on incidents from the end of the 2023/2024 season, when Salas received seven yellow cards in the final nine matches. This was out of a total of 10 yellow cards for the entire season. Notably, Sevilla FC had nothing at stake in terms of league position during the last seven games of that season.
Salas was taken to a court in his hometown of Morón de la Frontera on Tuesday to give a statement regarding the alleged fraud. He was subsequently released pending further investigation.
The young defender, who recently extended his contract with Sevilla until 2029, has played 16 matches so far this season, receiving three yellow cards. He had reportedly been attracting interest from Italian club Lazio in recent weeks.
This legal issue casts uncertainty over Salas’ future at Sevilla FC and his promising career. The club has not yet commented on the situation. As the investigation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this will impact both Salas and Sevilla FC going forward.