Spanish police arrested Sevilla FC’s Kike Salas for allegedly intentionally getting yellow cards so his family and friend could profit from bets. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Police in Spain detained Sevilla FC soccer player Kike Salas for allegedly intentionally getting yellow cards during games for betting purposes. Authorities in his hometown of Morón de la Frontera released him a few hours later after cloning his mobile device. They also arrested two of the player’s friends for their alleged role in the match-fixing.

La Liga issued a statement on Tuesday explaining the allegations against the 22-year-old. Investigators believe that friends and family bet on him receiving yellow cards during certain games.

leading to about €10,000 ($10,300) in profit

The National Police Center for Integrity in Sport and Betting (CENPIDA) is leading the probe and believes these people placed about 30 wagers through local sportsbooks, generating about €10,000 ($10,300) in profit towards the end of last season.

Salas received seven yellow cards in the final eight games of the 2023-24 La Liga season, more than any other player during the same period. His team had nothing to play for at that stage, safe from relegation and with no chance to earn qualification to any European competitions.

Sevilla FC said in a statement on Tuesday that it wants to respect the judicial process and will presume the innocence of its player. It went on to “condemn any fraudulent conduct” in sports that calls into question the integrity of games. Salas trained as normal with the team on Wednesday.