Sevilla defender Kike Salas is among three people to be arrested and placed under investigation for alleged fraud.
The 22-year-old and the two other defendants were arrested on January 14 but were all released without being brought before the judge in charge of the proceedings pending police investigation.
Sevilla said in a statement they will “show full respect for the judicial process as well as the presumption of innocence” of their player.
The court of Moron de la Frontera — a Spanish town in the province of Seville, where Salas was born — has said its investigation commenced on December 12, 2024, after receiving the file from Spain’s Public Prosecutor’s Office.
“The club, following what happened today in relation to our player Kike Salas, would like to place on record our full respect for the judicial process as well as the presumption of innocence of our player,” Sevilla added. “The club would also like to state that we condemn any fraudulent activity in the world of sport and in particular those that may affect the integrity of the competition.”
It has been widely reported in Spain that the arrests are in relation to suspicious betting patterns, with Salas accused of deliberately getting yellow cards in order to benefit others betting on his matches.
Salas received 10 yellow cards last season in La Liga, including seven in the last eight games that he featured in.
If found guilty of fraud, Salas faces the prospect of a lengthy ban on top of any punishment handed down as a result of any judicial proceedings.
La Liga has said it will ask to appear as a prosecutor in the case.
La Liga’s handbook on rules and principles states they employ betting detection software which, together with the work of the organisation’s integrity officers, allows them to monitor and track wagers placed on Spanish top-flight matches.
Salas has started Sevilla’s last seven La Liga games, making 16 appearances in all competitions since the start of the season.
He has been capped twice by Spain’s Under-21s, making a two-minute cameo as a second-half substitute in their goalless draw with England in November.
(Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
