BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina’s judicial system said on Wednesday it had opened an investigation into whether sports betting was involved in the sending off of Boca Juniors in this month’s Copa Argentina match.
Milton Leyendeker was shown a red card for challenging Exekiel Zeballos in the eighth minute of the match on 10 August. Boca won the match 1-0 with him, but Zeballos suffered a serious injury to his ankle, requiring surgery.
Buenos Aires City Public Prosecutor’s Office said: “The public prosecutor (Cersa Ramirez) is investigating whether there was a bet 10 minutes before the start of the match on whether an Agropecuario player would be sent off.”
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Local media were the first to report that gambling may have been involved.
“We would like to see if there is any truth in the media reports,” a prosecution source told Reuters, adding that betting of this kind would be illegal.
Leyendeker said the idea that he was sent off on purpose was “totally crazy”.
“Are you going to leave the team with one less man in the match against Boca in a match that everyone wants to play?” He was quoted by local media publication Infobae as saying:
“Nothing like this ever happened to me.”
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Reported by Ramiro Scandolo and Nicolas Misculin. By Anthony Esposito.Editing by Peter Rutherford
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