12 football players and coaches arrested over suspicion of match-fixing in Hong Kong

The 12 male suspects, aged between 24 and 54, comprise a head coach and two players of a football club belonging to the Hong Kong Premier League; a coach and four players of a football club with the Second Division of Hong Kong; and a player of another Hong Kong Second Division football club.

Three other men were also arrested on suspicion of acting as betting agents, and Chang revealed they were a head coach and players of different football teams.

Two coaches from North district were summoned to the ICAC offices on Monday, according to sources.

While investigators have not revealed the number of matches involved, Chang said Premier League games played during the current season, as well as Division Two matches in two seasons between 2021 and 2023, were believed to have been affected.

Armed with search warrants, ICAC officers raided more than 20 premises, including residences of the arrestees. Over 20 individuals, including a number of football players, were also interviewed as part of the investigation.

The amount involved in the case cannot yet be determined given officers are still gathering information.

In February, three football players and a betting agent were charged with bribing athletes to rig matches in two seasons between 2021 and last year, as well as with illegal gambling.

The four men were granted bail after appearing at Eastern Court and were expected to make their next appearance in June.

Last year, the city’s anti-corruption agency arrested 23 people, including a coach and 11 football players from one team, for allegedly taking bribes to fix matches and make gains through illegal sports gambling.

The players were allegedly offered up to HK$10,000 (US$1,280) as a reward for losing a match, with some believed to be in line to gain from placing illegal bets.