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Colombian football has been rocked by controversy after Deportivo Pasto’s president Óscar Casabón accused several of his own players of being linked to betting irregularities. The scandal surfaced just before the club’s 0-2 defeat to América de Cali and immediately fractured the relationship between management and the squad.
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Casabón announced that he would present a formal complaint to the Attorney General’s Office. He pointed to “unusual gameplay” in matches against Chicó, Medellín, and Cali, though he did not name the individuals involved. Casabón said after the América de Cali match:
“I suspected it since the match with Chicó. Today, we were supposedly going to be losing 2-0 in the first half, just as against Cali. That was the bet.”
The accusations set off outrage in the locker room. Forward Facundo Boné demanded that management back up its claims. He said:
“We propose that if anyone is betting, evidence should be presented, and we will take responsibility for removing them from the locker room ourselves. Pointing fingers at teammates in a situation like this, without knowing whether it is real, is unfair.”
Goalkeeper Diego Martínez, left out of the squad before kickoff, made an emotional defense of his name.
“My parents raised me as a person of integrity, with values and principles, and today they want to stain my name. I leave everything in God’s hands,” Martínez said through tears.
The players quickly found support from Acolfutpro, the professional footballers’ association in Colombia. In a statement, the group argued the club had ignored due process by publicly shaming players without evidence.
They stressed that accusations must be supported by proof and handled within labor law frameworks, not through public declarations.
The fallout also reached the bench. Head coach Camilo Ayala resigned during the dispute, leaving Deportivo Pasto without a leader at a moment of deep division.