Ivory Coast international striker Elye Vai was arrested on May 29 by French police on suspicion of match-fixing.
According to The Athletic, the 23-year-old forward, who is on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt to Nice, was detained after a Ligue 1 match against Saint-Etienne, which Nice won 4-1. Vai scored twice in that game.
The investigation began after suspicious bets were placed on the May 17 Nice vs Metz match, specifically on Vai receiving a yellow card. He was booked in the 35th minute for a rough tackle. It was his fifth yellow card of the season, causing him to miss the first playoff match against Saint-Etienne.
Vai was released after questioning, but the investigation continues. The Marseille prosecutor's office has charged him with organized fraud, corruption, handling criminal proceeds, and money laundering.
Notably, Vai was called up to Ivory Coast's 2026 World Cup squad four days before the incident and started in a 1-0 win over Ecuador.
