Latest news with #RikuDanzaki
Japan Today
a day ago
- Sport
- Japan Today
2 Japanese footballers in Australia accused of A-league match-fixing
Two Japanese footballers, including an Australian A-League player, have attended a pretrial procedure at a Melbourne court where they faced accusations of collaborating on betting fraud related to A-league matches, according to court documents. Riku Danzaki, a 25-year-old midfielder for Melbourne-based A-League club Western United, faces several charges, including allegedly deliberately receiving yellow cards during matches between April and May to manipulate betting outcomes, his charge sheet from the proceedings at the Magistrates Court of Victoria in Melbourne on Monday showed. Yuta Hirayama, 27, a student who plays for a local soccer team in Victoria and is a friend of Danzaki, was charged with using information about Danzaki's alleged plans to bet on the matches. The two men, who were accused of together winning at least AU$17,000 ($11,070) through the bets, did not enter formal pleas. They were arrested on May 30 and later released on bail. Danzaki joined Western United in Australian football's top division in 2023 after playing for Brisbane Roar in the league. He made his professional debut in 2019 for Consadole Sapporo, playing in the J-League first division, before stints with clubs including J2 outfit JEF United Chiba and Scottish side Motherwell. Hirayama played last season with the Bayside Argonauts after several years playing for clubs in Queensland, according to the Herald Sun newspaper. © KYODO
The Mainichi
a day ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
2 Japanese footballers in Australia accused of A-league match-fixing
MELBOURNE (Kyodo) -- Two Japanese footballers, including an Australian A-League player, have attended a pretrial procedure at a Melbourne court where they faced accusations of collaborating on betting fraud related to A-league matches, according to court documents. Riku Danzaki, a 25-year-old midfielder for Melbourne-based A-League club Western United, faces several charges, including allegedly deliberately receiving yellow cards during matches between April and May to manipulate betting outcomes, his charge sheet from the proceedings at the Magistrates Court of Victoria in Melbourne on Monday showed. Yuta Hirayama, 27, a student who plays for a local soccer team in Victoria and is a friend of Danzaki, was charged with using information about Danzaki's alleged plans to bet on the matches. The two men, who were accused of together winning at least AU$17,000 ($11,070) through the bets, did not enter formal pleas. They were arrested on May 30 and later released on bail. Danzaki joined Western United in Australian football's top division in 2023 after playing for Brisbane Roar in the league. He made his professional debut in 2019 for Consadole Sapporo, playing in the J-League first division, before stints with clubs including J2 outfit JEF United Chiba and Scottish side Motherwell. Hirayama played last season with the Bayside Argonauts after several years playing for clubs in Queensland, according to the Herald Sun newspaper.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Riku Danzaki, Yuta Hirayama: Two Melbourne soccer players accused of betting fraud
An offer to resolve charges against a former A-League soccer player accused of betting corruption has been rejected by prosecutors, a court has been told. Riku Danzaki, 25, was arrested by police in late May amid an investigation into allegations of gambling corruption during the A-League season. The Japanese-born player, who played 49 games with Western United until his contract finished at the end of the last season, was charged with 10 offences including four counts of engaging in conduct that would corrupt a betting outcome, four counts of facilitating corrupt conduct and using corrupt conduct information for betting. At the time of his arrest, Victoria Police alleged four matches in April and May 2025 had been subject to 'player to be carded wagering manipulation'. Mr Danzaki appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday morning with the assistance of a Japanese interpreter as lawyer Lewis Winter asked the court for a three week adjournment. He did not enter a plea. Mr Winter told the court he'd put forward an offer to resolve the case with diversion, which allows some first-time accused people to avoid a criminal conviction by meeting conditions, and was awaiting a response from prosecutors. 'I would be seeking around three weeks,' he said. 'I am confident it would be considered by them.' Mr Danzaki's case was adjourned by Magistrate Tara Hartnett until August 13. But a few hours later, as a second soccer player accused of involvement in the alleged betting corruption, Yuta Hirayama, 27, appeared in court, a police prosecutor indicated diversion would not be accepted for Mr Danzaki. 'I've spoken to Mr Winter … diversion is not going to be on the table,' the prosecutor said. Mr Hirayama, who played last season with the Bayside Argonauts after several years playing for clubs in Queensland, was arrested the same day as Mr Danzaki on May 30. He was charged with 16 offences including 11 counts of using corrupt conduct information for betting purposes and four counts of facilitating conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome. Lawyers acting for Mr Hirayama told the court the matter has been resolved with a plea however the case was stood down until the afternoon sitting. Mr Hirayama is expected to return to the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday afternoon.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Football Australia to face integrity investigation after two match-fixing scandals in the space of 12 months
Football Australia is under official scrutiny following a second A-League match-fixing scandal in just 12 months. Victoria's gambling regulator has announced it will conduct a formal 'suitability review' of Football Australia's integrity framework. The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) will lead the investigation during the 2025–26 financial year. This review comes after Western United midfielder Riku Danzaki was charged with 10 offences related to match-fixing. Police allege Danzaki deliberately received yellow cards in A-League matches across April and May this year. Victoria Police's Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit charged two men linked to the scandal. The pair were bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on July 31. One of the men is a 24-year-old from West Melbourne, and the other is a 27-year-old from Kingsville. Both men have been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 31. Western United confirmed a player had been charged, stating, 'We take this matter seriously.' The club said it is cooperating fully with authorities but declined to comment further. Football Australia responded by issuing no-fault interim suspensions to both charged individuals. 'The suspensions will remain in place until further notice,' Football Australia said in a statement. The Australian Professional Leagues also confirmed a player had been charged. A spokesperson said, 'The integrity of our sport is something that has to be protected without compromise.' This marks the second time in a year that yellow card betting allegations have rocked the A-League. In May 2024, Macarthur FC players Ulises Davila, Kearyn Bacchus and Clayton Lewis were charged by NSW Police. Those charges also involved the alleged manipulation of yellow card outcomes for betting purposes. The VGCCC labelled the latest allegations 'concerning' and signalled deeper examination of Football Australia's controls. 'This will include looking at the activities FA allows betting on, such as yellow cards,' a VGCCC spokesperson said. Football Australia confirmed it had been notified of the impending review in April. 'Football Australia welcomes the opportunity to continue to refine our vigilance against integrity threats,' it stated. It said integrity challenges affect all sports globally and require unified efforts from regulators and agencies. 'The job on integrity is never complete as offenders are becoming more and more sophisticated,' it added. Under Victorian law, Football Australia is a designated sports controlling body. This status gives it the power to negotiate betting markets and oversee soccer's integrity. It also allows Football Australia to receive a portion of gambling revenue, including bets on yellow cards. In 2023, Four Corners revealed that Football Australia permitted bets on all tiers of football. This includes international fixtures, national leagues, and even amateur suburban matches. In contrast, leagues like the AFL and NRL restrict gambling to their top two professional levels. Melbourne University's Professor Jack Anderson said the review would likely question the scope of permitted bets. 'Are some of these bets presenting such a risk that they should be struck off?' he asked. Anderson said yellow card manipulation is a growing problem worldwide. 'It's very discrete. A player can generate a yellow card almost to the minute,' he said. The issue is not limited to Australia, with global football also grappling with similar cases. Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who plays for West Ham United, is currently under investigation. The UK Football Association charged Paqueta over alleged yellow card spot-fixing in the Premier League. If found guilty, he could face a lifetime ban from football. Paqueta has denied all allegations and continues to defend his innocence.
ABC News
06-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Football Australia facing integrity probe amid match-fixing allegations
Football Australia is being investigated over its ability to protect the sport's integrity as it grapples with the A-League's second match-fixing scandal in 12 months. ABC Investigations can reveal the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission will launch a 'suitability review' of Football Australia that will examine the governing body's integrity measures, as well as the range of betting markets it allows on soccer games in Australia. The revelations of the probe come after Victoria Police this week charged 25-year-old Western United player Riku Danzaki with 10 match-fixing charges for allegedly intentionally receiving yellow cards during A-League matches in April and May. In May last year, NSW Police charged Macarthur FC players Ulises Davila, Kearyn Bacchus and Clayton Lewis with match-fixing offences also allegedly involving yellow cards. The VGCCC says the latest match-fixing allegations involving the Western United player were "concerning." "The VGCCC will conduct a suitability review of FA in the 2025–26 financial year to assess its ability to ensure the integrity of its events," the regulator said in statement. "This will include looking at the activities FA allows betting on, such as yellow cards. "The scope of the FA review is yet to be finalised but will focus on the legislated integrity requirements of sports controlling bodies." In a statement, Football Australia said the VGCCC informed it of the review in April. "Football Australia welcomes the opportunity to continue to refine our vigilance against integrity threats," it said. "Football Australia subscribes to continual vigilance in our standards to meet this challenge, but it's something that all Australian and international sports, regulators and government agencies must do together, as this stain isn't unique to footy players. "The job on integrity is never complete as offenders are becoming more and more sophisticated." Under Victoria's gambling laws, Football Australia is a designated "sports controlling body", which gives it the responsibility to oversee integrity of soccer and the power to negotiate with betting companies about the range of events on which they can offer bets. It also enables Football Australia to earn a portion of the revenue of gambling on soccer games – including bets on the number of yellow cards in a match. Football Australia has similar powers and responsibilities under New South Wales gambling laws. In 2023, Four Corners revealed Football Australia was allowing bookmakers to offer bets on all levels of the sport – from international games to amateur suburban matches. Most other major sporting bodies, such as the AFL and NRL, only allow betting on first and second-tier professional competitions. While the VGCCC has not disclosed the terms of reference for its inquiry, Melbourne University sports law expert Jack Anderson said it would likely focus on the range of gambling Football Australia allows on all levels of professional and amateur soccer in the country. "Probably what [the regulator] is doing is saying, yes, we have agreed that Football Australia can allow a range of bets on football. But are some of these bets presenting such a risk that they should be struck off and not offered?" he said. Professor Anderson said soccer governing bodies and authorities around the world are grappling with rising instances of alleged match fixing involving yellow cards, which is one of the few elements of play in the sport that can be influenced by a single player. "It's very discrete, in that a player can effect the foul that generates the yellow card. And they can do it almost to the minute, or to a particular time in the game." Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who plays with English Premier League side West Ham United, is facing a possible lifetime ban after the UK Football Association charged him with allegedly intentionally receiving yellow cards as part of a spot-fixing operation. Paqueta has denied any wrongdoing.
