Major League Soccer (MLS) has placed Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Hernandez on administrative leave following a report that he violated the league’s gambling policies and the terms of his January 2022 reinstatement.
Hernandez was previously reinstated by MLS on 25 January 2022, after serving a suspension for the remainder of the 2021 season.
His initial suspension, announced on 8 October 2021, was due to violations of the league’s gambling integrity rules and standards of conduct.
The reinstatement came with specific conditions, including Hernandez’s continued abstinence from gambling. MLS and Sporting Kansas City committed to ensuring that Hernandez received the necessary support and counselling during this period.
The current administrative leave indicates that Hernandez may have breached these conditions.
The league’s policies are designed to protect the integrity of the game and ensure that all players adhere to the highest standards of conduct.
Last month, Nicolo Fagioli returned to play following a gambling ban of his own. The Juventus midfielder had been sidelined since October due to a suspension for illegal gambling.
As part of the conditions of his ban, Fagioli had to attend treatment for gambling addiction for a minimum period of six months.
There have been a number of other gambling-related football suspensions in recent years.
Last year, for example, Ivan Toney of Brentford was banned for eight months following similar betting breaches.
Additionally, Toney was instructed to pay a fine of £50,000 ($63,300).
