Victoria Police have charged two soccer players, including one A-League player, for allegedly manipulating yellow cards in Australia’s top-tier soccer competition.
Police have charged a 24-year-old West Melbourne man and a 27-year-old Kingsville man with several offences relating to allegedly manipulating cards for gambling purposes in four A-League matches during April and May.
Victory fans before the A-League grand final on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
Football Australia has placed “no-fault interim suspensions” on the two players following the charges. One player is from the A-League and one plays in a state league.
Police said detectives from the Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit worked closely with Football Australia during its investigation.
Police executed warrants in Richmond, West Melbourne and Kingsville at 6.20am on Friday, arresting and interviewing the two men.
The West Melbourne man was charged with 10 offences including four counts of engaging in conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome, four counts of facilitating conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome, use of information derived from corrupt conduct for betting purposes, and attempting to commit an indictable offence.
Police in Swan Street as A-League fans set off flares before the final on Saturday.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
The Kingsville man was charged with 16 offences, including 11 counts of use of information derived from corrupt conduct for betting purposes, four counts facilitating conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome, and attempting to commit an indictable offence.
The two men were bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on July 31.
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