Granit Xhaka’s yellow card against Leeds United at Elland Road is reportedly being investigated by the National Crime Agency amid suspicious betting activity. The Arsenal midfielder was given a booking by referee Andre Marriner for time wasting in the 86th minute of his side’s visit to West Yorkshire back in December.
The FA initially opened an investigation into the incident in January and they have now referred it to the National Crime Agency, according to the Daily Mail. The report claims the escalation comes as a result of a development which indicates serious concerns over corruption and possible criminality.
The report states that an unusually large bet of £52,000 was placed during the match that required Xhaka to be booked in the final 10 minutes. At that stage, Leeds were already losing 4-1.
READ MORE: How Leeds United's Premier League rivals are approaching the transfer window as early deals done
As the clock ticked beyond the 85-minute mark, the 104-time Switzerland international stood over a free-kick inside his own half for more than 20 seconds. Marriner booked the midfielder.
The Mail say there has never been any suggestion of any wrongdoing by Xhaka or any other Arsenal player.
The Daily Mail’s exclusive report of the matter read: “The suspicious bet was placed on a betting exchange — a website that allows users to place bets but also take them from other users — and it was reported shortly afterwards that the gamble earned a pay-out of around £250,000.
“Leading bookmakers reported it to the FA due to the large amount of money involved and several industry sources have told Sportsmail that the sum was far in excess of what is usually wagered on yellow cards.
“Another bizarre aspect of the incident was that the odds offered on the betting exchange for Xhaka being booked were higher in the final 10 minutes than they had been before kick-off, which also prompted integrity concerns.”
Despite passing their investigation onto the National Crime Agency, the FA have not opened any investigation into Xhaka’s conduct, say the Mail.
