Thursday, January 23, 2025 - Serie A club, Udinese has removed Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye from its registered players list following an ongoing investigation into alleged betting irregularities.
The 25-year-old is being probed for suspicious betting patterns linked
to a yellow card he received during Udinese’s 2-1 victory over Lazio on March
11, 2024.
Italian authorities allege unusual gambling activity surrounding the
booking, which occurred in the 90th minute for time-wasting.
The investigation, led by the Prosecutor’s Office in Udine, was
triggered by a complaint from betting agency Sisal.
The agency’s algorithm flagged the anomaly, prompting authorities to
raid Okoye’s residence.
Additionally, investigators searched the premises of Diego Giordano, a
pizzeria owner whose restaurant is frequented by Juventus players, as part of
the probe.
Udinese has replaced Okoye with newly signed goalkeeper Egil Selvik in
their 25-man Serie A squad.Okoye's legal team has strongly denied the
allegations, describing them as baseless and urging the public to avoid
premature conclusions.
If found guilty, Maduka Okoye faces a potential five-year ban from
football, a penalty that would significantly impact his career.
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