Six footballers arrested, detained for match-fixing

Police of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on Thursday detained the unnamed players, aged 20-30, for gambling and organizing gambling.

The arrest followed six months of investigation, after authorities found anomalies during a game between the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Club and SHB Da Nang on Dec. 24 last year, where Ba Ria-Vung Tau lost 3-1.

Authorities said five among the six were main players, including a goalkeeper, three midfielders and a forward, had agreed not to play as best they could.

They had previously betted against themselves on online gambling sites. They were put under an investigation on Feb. 1.

The investigation further revealed that during a match between Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Dong Nai on Nov. 24 last year, the players followed the gesture by an unidentified person in the audience.

Following a 2-0 loss, the players were paid VND24 million (nearly $1,000) each.

The V-League 2, operated by the Vietnam Professional Football, company, has 11 teams participating. After 17 matches, Ba Ria-Vung Tau is now ranked 7th with 20 points.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau Club has been established since 1991, but disbanded in 1997. In 2006, the provincial People’s Committee approved its football project and re-established the team.