Soccer clubs call for curb on foreign players

PIA AKERMAN AND ADAM SHAND THE AUSTRALIAN SEPTEMBER 18, 2013 12:00AM

SOCCER clubs whose games against the Southern Stars have fallen under suspicion amid match-fixing allegations have called for tougher governance of the Victorian Premier League and a crackdown on the influx of foreign players.

The semi-professional league is struggling to come to grips with claims a foreign syndicate has been instructing the Stars on how to play their matches in Australia's biggest match-fixing scandal.

The suburban Melbourne team's coach and four British-born players will face court on Friday along with the alleged local ringleader, while two Hungarian and Romanian players were arrested on Sunday and released pending further inquiries.

Meanwhile, two British players who played for Brisbane Premier League club Albany Creek Excelsior and Southern Stars this season are reportedly also persons of interest in Operation Starlings.

According to a Fairfax Media report, the players and another former Southern Stars player were tracked overseas after they left Australia only days before the match-fixing syndicate was exposed. The pair reportedly joined Albany Creek in June, after starting the season with the Stars.

Football Federation Victoria is still considering what action should be taken against the Stars but other clubs said yesterday the scandal should force the governing body to improve its oversight and enforce limits on the number of foreign players.

Ezel Hikmet, communications manager of Hume City Football Club, which won 4-0 against the Southern Stars in July, said the FFV had to engage more with the volunteer-run clubs. "It's up to the FFV to govern this visa situation a bit better than it has at the moment," Mr Hikmet said. "The federation needs to put into place regulations on how many foreign players can play."

Police allege the foreign syndicate netted more than $2 million from the scam. Operation Starlings is investigating four games in which the Southern Stars conceded late goals, including an August 31 match in which Green Gully beat Southern Stars 3-0.

It's understood betting frauds have involved online wagers during games, particularly in the closing minutes, when odds blow out on bets with specific results.

The federation yesterday declined to answer questions about the league's governance, saying it would issue a statement today about penalties for the Southern Stars.

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