Former Malaga player Sergio Contreras, better known as “Koke,” has pleaded guilty to leading a gang of drug traffickers and accepted a six-year prison sentence.
Koke, 40, who also played for Major League soccer club Houston Dynamo as well as Marseille and Sporting Club, agreed to a plea deal at a court in Malaga on Tuesday after prosecutors had initially requested a 16-year prison sentence.
The sentence will be handed down in the next few days and cannot be appealed.
Koke was one of 17 defendants accused of buying large amounts of drugs that were then smuggled in lorries into different European countries.
Spanish police dismantled the ring led by Koke in November 2019 after an intense investigation.
Koke started his football career at home club Malaga, where he made his senior debut in 2002. He made seven appearances in MLS for Houston in the 2011 season.
His best seasons were at Aris where he scored 31 goals in 141 appearances during his two stints with the Greek side before retiring in 2016.