Sevilla Soccer Star Kike Salas Arrested on Suspicion of Spot Fixing

Sevilla center-back Kike Salas was briefly detained by Spanish police Monday as part of an investigation into spot-fixing.

Investigators believe the 22-year-old Spanish soccer player deliberately picked up yellow cards, allowing acquaintances to benefit financially from betting with inside information, according to Spanish digital news site El Confidencial.

The defender, who has played for the Spain under-21 national team, was the most-booked player in the 2023/24 season in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish soccer.

He picked up 10 yellow cards. Seven of those came during Sevilla’s final nine games at a time when the team had mathematically avoided relegation and had nothing to play for.

What is Spot Fixing?

“Spot betting” describes speculation on the minutiae of a game rather than the outright result — whether that be the number of corners, throw-ins, or yellow cards.

Critics say spot betting threatens sporting integrity because it is relatively easy for individual athletes to “spot fix” – manipulate small aspects of a game in a way that is difficult to detect. However, spot-fixing is rare in elite soccer because the huge wages involved remove the financial incentive.

The wagers were placed at six sportsbooks in Salas’ hometown of Moron de la Frontera, about 40 miles from Seville.

Police detained Sallas at Sevilla’s training ground, and he was released soon after being questioned, according to El Confidencial. Two of the soccer player’s acquaintances were also detained as part of the investigation.

If found guilty, Sallas could face a ban from the sport of up to five years and a prison term of between six months and three years for fraud.

Paqueta Pain

Sallas’ predicament is similar to that of Brazil and West Ham star Lucas Paqueta, who was charged by England’s Football Association (FA) last May with deliberately seeking to “receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market.”

Around 60 people in Brazil placed bets of between US$9 and US$520 on the midfield playmaker receiving yellow cards in four games in 2022 and 2023.

The seriousness of the charges is unprecedented in English soccer. If proven, they could be career-ending for the 27-year-old.