Major League Soccer announced Friday morning that the league has placed Sporting KC midfielder Felipe Hernandez on “administrative leave” following a report that Hernandez violated the league’s gambling policies.
In Friday’s statement, the league also said the report would violate the conditions of Hernandez’s January 2022 reinstatement after he served a suspension in 2021 for violating the league’s “gambling integrity rules and standards of conduct.”
Reached by The Star, representatives from both Sporting KC and MLS declined further comment on Friday.
Regarding the previous suspension, MLS initiated an investigation into Hernandez’s betting activity on July 5, 2021, after Hernandez had gone to Sporting KC with concerns about his personal safety over his gambling debts.
Hernandez entered counseling for gambling addiction, and the matter was referred to law enforcement. The investigation — conducted by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison LLP, and law enforcement — found that Hernandez engaged in extensive and unlawful sports gambling while a member of Sporting KC and had placed online bets on two MLS matches not involving Sporting KC.
The investigation found no evidence that Hernandez had confidential or non-public information regarding those games or that his betting activities affected the integrity of those MLS matches.
The league announced Hernandez’s suspension for the remainder of the 2021 season on October 8, 2021.
Sporting manager Peter Vermes said — when the suspension was announced in 2021 — that if Hernandez completed his treatment and was reinstated, he would welcome him back.
“I believe he deserves a second chance, and I would for sure give it to him,” Vermes said.
Hernandez applied for reinstatement and was officially reinstated to the league on January 25, 2022.
Hernandez appeared in all 34 MLS games in the 2022 season, scoring two goals and notching three assists. His performances led to a contract extension through 2025 with an option for 2026. Hernandez has made just 18 MLS appearances in the last two years.
In total, Hernandez has appeared in 76 MLS games for Sporting KC, scoring four goals with five assists.