- Three Macarthur FC stars charged with betting offenses
- From November and December A-League matches
- Captain Ulises Dávila one of the players accused on Friday
Once a rising Chelsea star, police will now allege Macarthur FC captain Ulises Dávila is one of three players involved in an alleged A-League betting scandal that has rocked the code. .
The Mexican, whose wife Lily died suddenly almost two years ago, was questioned on Friday at Mascot police station in Sydney and charged with two counts of corrupt conduct and two of facilitating corrupt conduct in betting results.
Police confirmed their investigation allegedly uncovered information that one player, Macarthur FC captain Ulises Dávila, was passing $10,000 to two other players for deliberately receiving yellow cards.
A South American organized crime figure nicknamed “the Instructor” will be alleged to have been involved in the plot.
Police will allege Macarthur FC captain Ulises Dávila is one of three players involved in an alleged A-League betting scandal that has rocked the code.
The Bulls captain is a single father raising Ulysses Jr. after the tragic death of his wife Lily in 2022.
The other two Bulls players, Kearyn Baccus, 32, the older brother of Socceroos star Keanu, were arrested in West Hoxton, while Clayton Lewis, 27, was in custody in Parramatta.
Both men were charged, and Macarthur FC is also the same club that Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke once coached before resigning in early 2023 and declaring they were a “pub team”.
Police also confirmed they will interview a fourth player, who is currently outside New South Wales, once he can be located.
He is also expected to be charged.
Three Macarthur FC A-League players have been arrested, while a fourth is expected to be interviewed when police are able to locate him.
Investigations revealed that a veteran player, Dávila, was allegedly receiving instructions from the South American to arrange for yellow cards to be shown during certain games in exchange for winnings.
The number of yellow cards was allegedly manipulated during matches played on November 24, 2023 – when Macarthur drew 1-1 with Melbourne Victory – and on December 9 last year, where the Bulls beat Sydney FC 2-0 .
Unsuccessful attempts were then allegedly made to control the number of yellow cards during the matches on April 20 and May 4 this year.
New Zealand international Clayton Lewis (pictured right) has also been charged for his alleged role in the scandal.
Kearyn Baccus, the older brother of Socceroos star Keanu Baccus, was also arrested and police confirmed they will charge a fourth player once he is located.
The multi-agency team that uncovered the bets included the UK Gambling Commission.
NSW Organized Crime Squad Detective Superintendent Peter Faux confirmed eyebrows were raised after large sums of money were bet offshore on A-League games currently under the microscope .
He also stated that it was disappointing that the trio of players “betrayed the trust of their fans.”
Deputy Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald added that the trio of arrests should send a clear warning that bad decisions can “destroy sporting careers and lifelong reputations.”
A-League matches under the microscope
The A-League knockout final between Macarthur and Sydney FC on May 4, 2024 is one of the matches police are investigating.
November 24, 2023
Macarthur 1 Melbourne Victoria 1 – 5 yellow cards
December 9, 2023
Macarthur 2 Sydney FC 0 – 5 yellow cards
April 20, 2024
Macarthur 1 Sydney FC 0 – 3 yellow cards
May 4, 2024
Sydney FC 4 Macarthur 0 – 2 yellow cards
