ITALIAN Serie A club Udinese has removed Super Eagles of Nigeria goaltender Maduka Okoye’s name from its list of registered players for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
The decision is sequel to an ongoing investigation into alleged betting irregularities.
They have officially replaced Okoye, who is recuperating from wrist surgery, with their new signing Egil Selvik.
The 25-year-old is being probed for suspicious betting patterns linked to a yellow card he received during Udinese’s 2-1 victory over Lazio on 11 March 2024.
Italian authorities allege unusual gambling activity surrounding the booking, which occurred in the 90th minute for time-wasting.
The investigation, led by the Prosecutor’s Office in Udine, was triggered by a complaint from betting agency Sisal.
The agency’s algorithm flagged the anomaly, prompting authorities to raid Okoye’s residence.
Additionally, investigators searched the premises of Diego Giordano, a pizzeria owner whose restaurant is frequented by Juventus players, as part of the probe.
Udinese has replaced Okoye with newly signed goalkeeper Egil Selvik in their 25-man Serie A squad.
Okoye’s legal team has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as baseless and urging the public to avoid premature conclusions.
If found guilty, Maduka Okoye faces a potential five-year ban from football, a penalty that would significantly impact his career.
Eighteen-Eleven Media