Possible match-fixing is investigated in Copa Argentina match
Moment of Milton Leyendeker's foul on Boca Juniors' Exequiel Zeballos

Argentina’s justice opened an investigation into possible match-fixing in a Copa Argentina match earlier this month, as reported by Reuters.

The game in question was valid for the round of 16 of the competition and involved Boca Juniors and Agropecuario on August 11. In the match, the player Milton Leyendeker, from Agropecuario, was sent off with just eight minutes of ball rolling.

Prompted by local media reports, promoter Celsa Ramirez is investigating whether or not there were bets on a home team player receiving a red card before 10 minutes. “We want to see if there is any truth in the media reports,” a prosecutor said, adding that such bets are illegal.

Leyendeker, however, denied that his red card was deliberate: “Am I going to leave my team one short, playing against Boca, in a game that everyone wants to play? Something like this had never happened to me.”

Leyendeker’s red card had serious consequences, with his entry into Exequiel Zeballos resulting in a serious injury. The Boca Juniors player had to undergo a surgical procedure on his ankle.

Despite this, Boca won the match at the Padre Ernesto Martearena Stadium by 1-0, a goal by Guillermo Matías Fernández, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Argentina Cup. The team continues in search of the championship of the competition.

Sports authorities punish tennis coach for match-fixing

The investigation of possible match-fixing in football follows the authorities’ offensive against irregularities in sport. Last month, Dutch coach Max Wenders was banned from the sport for 12 years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after admitting multiple allegations of match-fixing.

Wenders also acknowledged that he destroyed evidence requested by the ITIA (then the Tennis Integrity Unit) and did not denounce a corrupt approach.