A Tasmanian registered player has been officially sanctioned by Football Federation Australia for betting on matches.
In breach with the National Code of Conduct, the accused player (who still remains unidentified) is said to have placed bets on matches involving his own National Premier League side, as well as other NPL and A-League matches. The governing body will hand down a $2,000 fine and an immediate two-match suspension as punishment.
FFA CEO David Gallop stated that all Australian players should be reminded that they are not allowed to bet on football matches.
“The integrity of football is important and under FIFA statutes registered players, coaches, referees and club officials are not allowed to bet on football matches anywhere in the world,” said Gallop.
These statutes do not differentiate between placing bets on your own local club or an overseas professional team but there’s a much higher integrity risk when bets are placed on matches where the participant has a direct connection.”
Football Federation Tasmania (FFT) CEO Mike Palmer praised the FFA for shedding light on the matter.
“All registered participants are subject to the National Code of Conduct and the prohibition on betting is very clear. This serves once again as a timely reminder for our football community about this issue.
“Football Federation Tasmania supports the sanctions issued and will work with NPL clubs, as we have done previously, to ensure everyone is aware of their responsibilities.”
The accused player does, however, have a right to appeal to an independent Disciplinary and Ethics Committee.
The FFA’s full National Code of Conduct can be reviewed at – www.footballaustralia.com.
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