- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Apologetic Melbourne Victory captain Kevin Muscat says he is deeply hurt and embarrassed to be one of three A-League players found to have placed bets on football matches.
Muscat, along with Queensland Roar captain Craig Moore, was fined on Friday while Victory midfielder Grant Brebner was suspended for two matches by Football Federation Australia after it was discovered all three players had bet on matches involving A-League teams this year.
Brebner copped the biggest penalty after he was found to have placed bets totalling $640 on two games, one involving his own team.
The 31-year-old Scottish midfielder, who has a history of gambling problems, received a two game ban with a further two matches suspended as well as a $5000 fine, $2000 of which was suspended.
Muscat and Moore escaped bans but received fines after betting on matches not involving their own teams.
Muscat, who placed and lost a $100 bet on a match between Central Coast and Queensland on December 6, vowed after the Victory’s 4-2 loss to Newcastle on Friday night he would never make the same mistake again.
“It is with great regret and embarrassment that I am here before you tonight,” an emotional Muscat told reporters in Newcastle.
“I sincerely apologise for my actions, I have clearly done the wrong thing, I accept the sanctions handed down by the FFA.
“It is the first betting account I have ever opened, which I did two weeks ago … I made one bet on a game not involving our team and I acknowledge I made a very serious error.
“I am captain of our club and realise I have a very serious responsibility to our club our fans … This will never happen again.
“I’m a very proud person and this has hurt me deeply.”
FFA learned of the bets after being informed by betting organisation Betfair, with whom they hold an “integrity agreement”, three weeks ago.
FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said he was disappointed with the players’ actions but added he was satisfied they had made honest mistakes.
He was also confident there wasn’t a widespread betting problem in the A-League and said there was “absolutely nothing” to suggest attempted match fixing.
But Buckley said it was a stern warning to players about their responsibilities under FFA’s code of conduct.
“It won’t be tolerated and all players should see this as a very stern warning,” Buckley said.
Brebner placed bets on two matches, one involving Adelaide and Wellington, but it was his wagers on the Victory’s 3-1 Asian Champions League loss to Thailand’s Chonburi in March that earned him a suspension.
He collected $540 for picking the correct goal margin in the match and bizarrely won another $4.21 by backing against his team and correctly selecting a draw or Chonburi win as the result.
Brebner was not in the squad for the match, nor was he in Thailand with the team, with the bets believed to be placed 15 minutes prior to kick-off.
The former Manchester United apprentice revealed last year that he was a recovering gambling addict, at one stage developing a $6200-a-week addiction.
Moore, meanwhile, spent a total of $600 on two matches, one between Central Coast and Adelaide and the other an ACL match between Adelaide and Gamba Osaka, winning $72.
Buckley said FFA would move to make sure all players were aware of the rules in relation to betting but denied the image of the league had been tarnished.
All clubs and players have accepted the sanctions imposed and say they won’t appeal.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.