Ally McCoist has delivered an instant reaction after it was reported that Leeds star Samu Saiz is among a number of players arrested for match-fixing allegations.
The news was broken by Spanish outlet 24h and quickly picked up by mainstream outlets including the BBC.
Talking on the Jim White Show (talkSPORT, Tuesday, 9am), McCoist said that if true, the authorities must come down on the players “like a tonne of bricks”.
“I must have lived a sheltered life,” said McCoist when told about the allegations on talkSPORT.
“Honest to goodness I’ve played for 22 years and never witnessed anything like this. They’re allegations obviously, but I must have led a sheltered life.
“If they’re proven to be true then the auth must come down on them like a tonne of bricks… What a slap in the face football supporters.”
OPINION
Well it’s certainly not dull being a Leeds United supporter. Straight after the drama of this season and the play-off final, and before Marcelo Bielsa has made a decision on his future, Leeds are back in the headlines. And for all the wrong reasons. The report concerns match-fixing allegations in the first and second divisions in Spain and is quickly becoming one of the biggest stories in football. There are some big names involved and some big names being arrested, including a current club president and former Real Madrid defender Raul Bravo, said to be the ringleader of the group. Could this have any ramifications on Leeds? It’s unlikely they will suffer any sanctions as a club – all the match-fixing was in Spain while Saiz was a La Liga player – but they could have a real problem selling Saiz this summer and that could have a big impact on what players they could bring in over the summer.