Sevilla Defender Kike Salas Accused of Getting Booked on Purpose as Part of Gambling Conspiracy

Referee Holding Card Against Spanish Flag

In a case that echoes that of West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, the Sevilla and Spanish Under-21 international Kike Salas has been accused of getting himself deliberately booked in La Liga games at the end of last season.

Why? So that two acquaintances, as they are described in court filings, could profit by betting on the defender to be cautioned in the games in question.

Most online bookmakers offer prop betting now, with player cards, tackles, fouls, shots and even passes just some of the things punters can wager on.

And although Salas strenuously denies all the charges brought against him, it’s easy to see how a young, naïve player might fall down the trap of committing an offence that could be punished with a prison sentence.

Late Flurry

Shadow of Prison Cell Bars

Let’s rewind to the later stages of the 2023/24 season, where Sevilla are condemned to mid-table mediocrity – therefore, their last few games of the campaign have little riding on them.

Salas has, up until now, been booked three times. But for reasons perhaps only he can explain, he finds himself being cautioned in seven of Sevilla’s last ten games of the term; wholly out of character, given what had gone before.

And that is the main focus of the investigation being carried out by the anti-corruption department of the National Police. Why did Salas get booked so often in the final weeks of the season? And specifically why did he lose his discipline, with tackles and actions described by eyewitnesses as ‘questionable’ so late in games… with three of the cautions in question coming after the 88th minute?

Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that when Salas was arrested on Tuesday and taken to Seville’s named Morón (we kid you not) de la Frontera police station, he was joined in the cells by two people who are said to be from within his ‘close circle’.

As per the reporting of Spanish media firm El Confidencial, it has been suggested that the duo profited in the region of €10,000 (£8,400) from the alleged plot, which seems like loose change relative to the inside information they purportedly had. But maybe by betting a medium-sized amount, they were looking to maximise their returns while avoiding detection.

However, the nature of Salas’ sudden aggressive turn in personality has been detected, and now investigators will have to determine whether he’s complicit in a conspiracy, or whether all the evidence is mere coincidence.

For the 22-year-old, this is serious business. In Spain, corruption in sport can qualify for a prison sentence of up to three years, which for a young player with lots of potential would be something of a disaster.

Worst still, the English Football Association – who are keeping a close eye on the ongoing investigation into Paqueta’s conduct, have recommended that the Brazilian be banned for life if found guilty of deliberately getting booked in seven Premier League games.

For the time being, Sevilla are standing by their man. They handed him a lengthy new contract in December, keeping him at the club until 2029. That is a measure of their faith in Salas.

Similarly to Paqueta, Salas is also allowed to carry on playing for Sevilla while the investigation is being conducted. He’s featured in 14 La Liga games for the side so far this term, playing 78 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

Mirror Image

Wooden Gavel Under Spotlight

As for Paqueta, his date with destiny is likely to come in the summer, when his personal hearing will be wrapped up.

That will begin in March, but because of the delicate nature of the alleged offences, it will take plenty of time for the judge to reach their verdict… allowing the 27-year-old to see out the remainder of the season with the Hammers.

He’s been performing well, all things considered, and notched the winner in West Ham’s win over Fulham in midweek. Mind you, it’s interesting that he’s received more yellow cards than scored goals this term… is he trying to be more aggressive in his tackling to confuse his own investigation?

The seven cautions for which he’s under microscope – most happened during the 2022/23 season, with another on the opening weekend of the following campaign in August, have seen witnesses split on whether Paqueta was acting out of character or not.

The challenge for his legal team will be explaining the flurry of bets that came in for Paqueta to be booked in the specified games, with a number of new customer accounts opened in Brazil purely for the purpose of placing the wagers.

Although the stake sizes wagered were on the small size, the sheer quantity of bets placed meant that the bookies were taken for around £100,000 during the alleged ruse.