The Sevilla and Spain Under 21 defender Kike Salas could be jailed for up to three years for his role in an alleged betting scam that saw him pick up a number of yellow cards last season deliberately.
The 22-year-old picked up ten cautions during the 2023/24 campaign, but seven of those came within the final nine games – a sequence that is now under investigation by authorities in Spain.
It has been alleged that Salas’ friends stood to profit financially from his string of bookings. If found guilty of being involved in a pre-ordained plot, the Sevilla central defender faces sanctions that can include a prison sentence of up to three years in length.
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Investigators from the Spanish National Police’s anti-betting corruption unit are focussing on the final few weeks of last season, during which Sevilla had little left to play for.
Salas suddenly went on a one-man crime spree, picking up seven cautions – two of of which came in the 94th minute of the game. A number of those bookings came about courtesy of tackles and behaviour on the pitch that has been described as ‘questionable’.
It’s believed that at least two accomplices had wagered on the defender to be booked in the La Liga games in question… with a total profit of less than €10,000 (£8,400) allegedly banked by his co-conspirators.
Salas and those two individuals were arrested on Tuesday and, rather ironically, taken to the Morón de la Frontera police station in Seville, where they were questioned about their part in the alleged scam.
Additionally, investigators have also refused to rule out the possibility of other players being involved in the plot.
If found guilty, Salas would almost certainly be banned from football for a significant period, but the list of sanctions available in the most serious of cases also includes jail time.
Sevilla are evidently keen to stand by their player. They offered the 22-year-old an extended contract as recently as December, which will keep him at the club until the end of the 2028/29 season.
“Sevilla FC wishes to express its full respect for the judicial process and underscore its adherence to the principle of presumption of innocence for our player,” the club revealed in a press statement.
All of which means that Salas will be allowed to train and play games for Sevilla as normal until the investigation is completed… in much the same way as Lucas Paqueta has continued his career at West Ham against the backdrop of the illegal betting accusations levied at him.
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Despite the threat of a lifetime ban from football looming over him, Paqueta continues to perform for the Hammers.
He netted the winner in their midweek victory over Fulham, having been given dispensation to continue playing while an investigation into an alleged yellow card betting conspiracy ring is carried out.
It is alleged that Paqueta got himself deliberately cautioned in four Premier League games in the period between November 2022 and August 2023, with suspicious betting patterns – 60 of which emanated from his native Brazil for stakes ranging from £7 to £400 – surrounding those yellow cards enough to convince authorities they may have a case on their hands.
Paqueta was later charged by the Football Association after refusing to hand over his mobile phone as evidence, with the governing body calling for the midfielder to be banned for life if found guilty of deliberately getting himself booked.
“It’s alleged that he directly sought to influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of, or occurrence in these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting,” the FA clarified in a statement.
His hearing is expected to be heard in March, although with no verdict due before the summer, Paqueta can continue playing for West Ham until the end of the 2024/25 season.
There is no real precedent for the courts to follow in the cases of Paqueta and Salas, although Ivan Toney was banned from football for eight months in 2023 when he was found to have placed more than 200 bets on games.
But none of those wagers had any impact upon the outcome of the game, whereas both Paqueta and Salas – if found guilty – would be considered to have committed fraud. As a result, they can expect to be sanctioned more heavily.