BUENOS AIRES, FIFA World Cup Aug 18 (Reuters) – Argentina’s justice system said on Thursday it had opened an investigation into whether sports betting played a role in an Agropecuario player being sent off against Boca Juniors in a Copa Argentina game this month.
Milton Leyendeker was red carded eight minutes into the match on Aug. 10 for FIFA World Cup a challenge on Exequiel Zeballos. Boca won the game 1-0 but Zeballos suffered a serious ankle injury that required surgery.
“The prosecutor (Celsa Ramirez) is investigating if there were bets on whether there would be an Agropecuario player sent off before 10 minutes into the match,” the public prosecutor’s office of the City of Buenos Aires said on its Twitter account.
Local media first reported that gambling might have been involved.
“We want to see if there is any truth in the media reports,” a source from the prosecutor’s office told Reuters, FIFA World Cup adding that these types of bets would be illegal.
Leyendeker said the idea that he deliberately got himself sent off was “totally crazy”.
