As announced by the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) on Friday morning, Kearyn Baccus, Clayton Lewis, and Ulises Dávila, who play for the A-League team Macarthur FC, are facing charges for their alleged participation in betting corruption tied to the manipulation of yellow cards. If found guilty, the players will be punished for multiple counts of corrupting a betting outcome of an event.
The investigation that led to the arrests was helmed by Strike Force Beaconview, and according to the NSWPF, senior player and Macarthur FC captain Ulises Dávila has been accused of striking a deal with a man in South America that involved the organising of occurrences of yellow cards in exchange for monetary gain. As reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the NSWPF has alleged that Dávila had also convinced junior players to participate in the scheme as per the instructions of the South American individual.
Several Games Were Affected
The first instances of alleged manipulation are believed to have happened in 2023, and the ABC outlined how specific cases include a yellow card that the referee had handed to Dávila while his team was playing against Melbourne Victory on November 24th, and a card received on December 9th 2023 during a game between Macarthur FC and Sydney FC.
Accusations also point to attempted manipulation of yellow cards having occurred in 2024, specifically between April 20th and May 4th, although the footballers were ultimately unsuccessful in controlling the number of yellow cards in this case.
The footballers were reportedly rewarded with up to AU$10,000 for the above acts. Assistant Commissioner of the NSW Police Michael Fitzgerald told reporters that the police allege the manipulation of yellow cards is something that can affect the results of a match. He added that the perceived value of AU$10,000, a sum young players might consider substantial, “is incredibly insignificant” given how damaging charges for committing betting corruption offences can be.
A Fourth Player Seems to Have Been Involved in the Scheme
The three participating footballers were arrested following the issuing of search warrants in South Coogee, Parramatta, West Hoxton, and Emu Plains. They were granted conditional bail, with Dávila and Lewis being set to appear before local courts in June, while Baccus’ own hearing is scheduled for May 30th. Additionally, an undisclosed fourth player will be arrested and charged upon his return to New South Wales.
While betting misconducts are not exactly uncommon in football, they typically involve players who have simply wagered on sports due to struggles with gambling addiction. The UK, for example, has had several such cases in recent times that have resulted in prominent football stars facing consequences, including Ivan Toney and Sandro Tonali.
Cases where a given situation revolves around the actual manipulation of matches are far rarer in comparison. The news of the arrests thus came as a shock to Macarthur FC officials and fans alike, and Fitzgerald stressed that by committing the alleged offences, the players “betrayed the trust of their supporters and the code.”
The players’ careers might also be in jeopardy, given how even lighter offences have led to suspensions and other forms of punishment in the past. Retired All Whites player Ben Sigmund shared with the Newstalk ZB radio programme that he did not know “what damage this might do” to Lewis’ future in the sport in particular. “It makes me upset, it makes me sad. I’m just gutted,” he added.
- Author
Daniel Williams
