Salas' arrest this morning over an alleged illegal betting case has taken Sevilla by surprise. The Andalusian club has since published a statement on its website.
Sevilla declared, "...full respect for judicial procedures and the principle of presumption of innocence" of its player. The club also takes the opportunity to condemn "any fraudulent conduct in the world of sport and in particular those that could harm the integrity of the competition".
Salas allegedly exercised his right to remain silent and handed over his mobile phone to the National Police so they could duplicate it; he was later released.
The case is being investigated following a complaint filed a few weeks ago (focusing on some suspicious cards received at the end of last season) and involves, in addition to the player, two people close to him who allegedly placed several winning bets in the player's hometown.
This is the statement: "Sevilla, after the events that occurred this Tuesday in relation to the player Kike Salas, wishes to demonstrate its total respect for judicial procedures. Likewise, it wishes to underline its respect for the principle of the presumption of innocence of our player. Naturally, Sevilla condemns any fraudulent conduct in the world of sport and in particular those that could compromise the integrity of the competition."