On December 18, 2021, Leeds United and Arsenal met at Elland Road. The team led by Mikel Arteta won 4-1 with goals from Gabriel Martinelli (16′ and 28′), Bukayo Saka (42′) and Emile Smith Rowe (84′), although none of this is what generated the controversy around the match.
When 40 minutes into the second half, Granit Xhaka began to play for time when executing a free kick in his own field. The Swiss midfielder of Albanian origin began to threaten several times and exhausted the patience of the referee, who ended up showing him the yellow card.
This situation is being investigated by the National Crime Agency of England after several suspicious bets with high amounts of money were made.
As reported by the Daily Mail, this move by the Arsenal midfielder “an alleged criminal conspiracy involving the Albanian mafia and a former professional footballer who has been convicted of match-fixing is being investigated“.
What is the suspicion?
in said match bets were placed for 52,000 pounds (more than 60,000 euros) that Granit Xhaka was going to be booked in the last ten minutes. This materialized with the play in which he bought time in a totally unjustified way, with the match already settled.
Inside the investigation being carried out by the National Crime Agency of England former Swedish-Albanian footballer Alban Jusufi appearswho was convicted in Sweden of trying to pay a goalkeeper 182,000 to let him win.
Granit Xhaka, investigated for a yellow card (Photo: AFP).
