Gambling company involved in stunt? Justice investigates stunt in professional football
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23 Nov 2024 •
Reading time: 2 minutes Argentine first division club Deportivo Riestra has caused quite a stir with a striking stunt. Ivan Buhajeruk, better known as influencer “Spreen”, was allowed to play for 78 seconds in a match against Velez, the leader in the top division, last weekend. Although it was intended as a promotional campaign, it led to criticism from both players and football legends.
With more than 7.75 million followers on YouTube and over 9 million on Twitch, Spreen is one of the best-known Argentine influencers. His videos are usually about gaming, but for this occasion he was in the starting line-up of Deportivo Riestra, in what was quickly labelled as a commercial stunt. The campaign was sponsored by energy drink brand Speed, which often carries out striking advertising campaigns.
Criticism from the football world
Spreen’s short appearance on the field did not go down well with opponent Velez. Braian Romero, the top scorer in the Argentine league, called the stunt “a lack of respect for football”. He stressed that success in the sport requires hard work and sacrifices. “Football is about trying, failing and continuing,” he said.
Juan Sebastián Verón, an icon in Argentine football, also expressed his disapproval. He called it “a total lack of respect”. The Argentine Football Association has now ordered an investigation into possible damage to the integrity of football in the country.
Club defends the action
Deportivo Riestra reacted with surprise to the negative reactions. The club emphasized in a press statement that the action was intended to attract a new audience. “We want to build bridges between different worlds and platforms to strengthen our club and football,” the statement said.
The club denied that it wanted to insult the opponent or Argentine football. However, the criticism continues, especially because there are rumors of involvement of a gambling company.
Gambling company possibly involved
In addition to the advertising and publicity value of the stunt, there is a dark side to the story. Rumors are that an online gambling company had offered bets on a possible starting spot for Spreen. The public prosecutor’s office is now investigating whether there was manipulation or other illegal practices surrounding the action.
Deportivo Riestra has raised eyebrows in the past. With the support of the owner of Speed, the club has been promoted five times in ten years, which raises questions about the financial resources behind the success.