An investigation into suspected illegal gambling links with soccer in Argentina was recently launched following a controversial move of a top-flight soccer team.

YouTuber Briefly Joins Deportivo Riestra’s Soccer Team

Earlier this week, Deportivo Riestra, a team in the country’s Primera Division holding ninth place, decided to field Ivan Buhajeruk, a social media influencer popular on YouTube known as “Spreen” where he has 7 million subscribers. The 24-year-old man made his debut in professional soccer in Riestra’s game against division leaders Velez Sarsfield.

The decision came as a surprise and shock, considering that Buhajeruk was registered with the help of Riestra with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) back in February. The young man also signed a contract with the Primera Division club despite having no professional soccer experience.

Regardless, Riestra’s coach, Cristian Fabbiani, decided to field Buhajeruk in the game against Velez only to take him out in less than a minute. Spreen was replaced 50 seconds after the start of the match between Velez on Monday. The game concluded with a 1-1 score.

The Move to Attract New Audiences Faces Scrutiny

The decision to field an influencer for a top-flight match did not resonate well with the AFA and the Argentine Justice Department. In light of Riestra’s actions, the Association confirmed it has initiated an investigation due to the inclusion of the YouTube influencer in the match. The probe will seek to determine if the integrity and reputation of soccer in the country were damaged by the controversial decision to include Spreen in the match.

At the same time, as announced by Reuters, the Argentine Justice Department announced the launch of an investigation into the incident. That investigation will seek to determine if the top-flight team’s coach and Buhajeruk are somehow related to illegal gambling activities and whether or not the controversial marketing move sought to attract the attention of gamblers.

In contrast to the suspicion, Riestra explained its position in a statement released via X, formerly Twitter. The soccer team acknowledged the importance of collaborating with Buhajeruk, who they said was one of the “most important influencers” for Latin America.

However, the team wrote that this marketing action resulted in “many negative opinions.” In that line of thought, Riestra offered sincere apologies to anyone who felt offended by its latest decision. The soccer team added that it didn’t have any intention to harm Argentine soccer or disrespect its rival, Velez.

Explaining the move to field Spreen, Riestra said that a primary objective of this collaboration was to attract “new audiences.” The team pointed to the importance of connecting platforms and worlds, referring to the way a popular YouTuber can attract younger audiences to soccer. Finally, the team wrote that it remains dedicated to the future of soccer, its evolution and its growth.