Police charge men for match-fixing in game involving Melbourne City

Victoria Police have charged two men with match-fixing offences after an 18-month investigation into the National Premier Leagues' second division.

Melbourne City's youth team Source: Getty Images

As exclusively revealed by The World Game in December 2017, police opted to investigate the game in question.

The ABC now reports that police allege the men attempted to fix a match between Dandenong Thunder and Melbourne City's Under-20s side on August 19, 2017, which finished 2-2.

The conduct of Dandenong was reportedly the focus of the investigation, which called their 2017 title triumph into question.

Then-coach Gianfranco Impellizzeri denied any wrongdoing when contacted by the ABC last year. 

In a statement provided to The World Game in December 2017, Melbourne City said there was no suggestion the club, its players or anyone associated with the club was under investigation.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman told the ABC a 54-year-old man has now been charged with engaging in conducts that corrupts, or would corrupt a betting outcome, and will appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on March 29.

Meanwhile, a 52-year-old will also front Southport Magistrates' Court on the same day after Queensland Police charged him with facilitating match-fixing conduct.

Football Federation Australia acknowledged the charges on Tuesday afternoon.

“The preservation of the integrity of football is paramount and FFA will take all necessary steps to cooperate with authorities to this end,” FFA CEO David Gallop said in a statement.

There is no suggestion that players involved in the match in question are alleged to have committed a sports corruption offence.