Key Points
- Three A-League Men players have reportedly been arrested for alleged betting corruption.
- NSW Police launched an investigation into the alleged yellow card manipulation in December.
- The players are expected to face court on Friday afternoon.
A senior Macarthur FC A-League player has been accused of paying two younger teammates up to $10,000 to deliberately receive yellow cards during games, in a scheme allegedly masterminded by a person in South America.
The senior player and two junior players have been charged over their alleged involvement in the betting fix, which police say has led to hundreds of thousands of dollars being paid out in winnings.
NSW Police assistant commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said police wanted to question a fourth player, who is currently interstate, over alleged involvement in the scheme, threatening to extradite him if he does not return to NSW to face questioning.
Investigators allege yellow cards were manipulated during games played on 24 November and 9 December.
They also allege unsuccessful attempts were made to do the same thing during matches on 20 April and 4 May.
Macarthur played out a 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory on 24 November before beating Sydney FC 2-0 on 9 December.
All three received yellow cards during the 9 December game against Sydney.
The team beat Sydney 1-0 on 20 April before being thrashed 4-0 by the Sky Blues on 4 May.
Fitzgerald told reporters on Friday the players had "betrayed the trust of their supporters and the code".
"Yellow cards and the subsequent penalties that arise out of those yellow cards could change the result of that game," he told reporters on Friday.
Macarthur FC 'shocked'
The southwest Sydney club said it was "shocked" by the allegations of yellow-card manipulation among its players, which came after a six-month police investigation.
NSW Police said the investigation was launched in December 2023 with the help of United Kingdom officials after suspicious betting patterns were identified.
Macarthur FC chief executive Sam Krslovic said the club was caught off-guard by the arrests but it would work with authorities.
"The club is shocked and aware of the arrests of three A-League players by NSW Police as a result of international law enforcement co-ordination focused on betting corruption related to alleged yellow card manipulation in games," he said.
"Integrity of our game is a foundation pillar and we will work closely with all relevant agencies on this matter."
Macarthur FC chief executive Sam Krslovic said the club was caught off-guard by the arrests but it would work with authorities. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
They arrested a 33-year-old man in South Coogee, who was taken to Mascot police station and charged with two counts of engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of an event, facilitating conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of an event, and participating in a criminal group.
A 27-year-old was arrested in Paramatta and taken to the police station there, where he was charged with engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of an event, and participating in a criminal group.
A 32-year-old was arrested in West Hoxton and taken to Campbelltown Police Station, where he was charged with engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of an event, and participating in a criminal group.
They were all granted conditional bail and will appear at Downing Centre local court on 24 June, 27 June, and 30 May respectively.
Earlier on Friday, Sports Integrity Australia said it acted on information from a UK agency working with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission on their investigation.
Football Australia said it was made aware of the arrests on Friday morning and was cooperating with the investigation.
The Australian Professional Leagues, which runs the A-League competitions, also acknowledged the arrest as a result of "international law enforcement co-ordination".
"The work to protect the integrity of our game must be unwavering and we are liaising closely with all relevant agencies on this matter," it said in a statement.
Macarthur FC has been in the A-League Men's competition since the 2020-21 season.
The team finished this regular season in fifth before being knocked out by Sydney FC in an elimination final.
