SYDNEY (AP) \u2014 A former club captain who was honored as the A-League’s player of the year has admitted his role in a lucrative match-fixing scheme and pleaded guilty to the charges in an Australian court on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Ulises Davila, 34, was accused of being the ringleader of the betting scheme which involved him and two Macarthur Bulls teammates deliberately earning yellow cards to help guarantee a betting outcome.<\/p>\n
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The charges related to six games in Australia’s top-flight soccer competition across the 2023 and 2024 seasons.<\/p>\n
The former Macarthur FC captain pleaded guilty to facilitating and engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event.<\/p>\n
Eight charges against him, including that he directed and participated in a criminal group, were withdrawn by prosecutors in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court.<\/p>\n
Davila is due to be sentenced Dec. 19.<\/p>\n
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During a match on Dec. 9, 2023<\/a> against Sydney FC, Davila and his teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus were handed yellow cards.<\/p>\n Davila was cautioned for delaying play by kicking the ball away, Lewis was carded or pushing an opponent in the chest, and Baccus was punished for a poor tackle.<\/p>\n Bets had been placed on the Macathur team receiving at least four cards during the game, according to facts agreed to by Davila\u2019s teammates.<\/p>\n Winning payouts for the bets placed through a gambling site totaled more than 200,000 Australian dollars ($132,000). Davila paid Lewis and Baccus A$10,000 ($6,600) each for their roles in the betting scam, the teammates said.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n