Two players plead guilty to match-fixing over yellow cards in Australian soccer’s A-League

SYDNEY (AP) — Two professional players admitted in court Thursday to engaging in betting corruption after they were paid by criminals to earn yellow cards during games in Australian soccer’s A-League.

Former Macarthur Bulls captain Ulises Davila and midfielders Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis were charged in May 2024 with manipulating yellow cards during games in 2023 and 2024.

Davila, 33, allegedly acted as the contact between the southwest Sydney club’s players and a criminal group in Colombia, organizing for the yellow cards to occur during particular games.

Baccus, 33, and Lewis, 27, were allegedly paid up to 10,000 Australian dollars ($6,550) by Davila to deliberately try to receive the referee-issued cautions for foul play.

The midfielders pleaded guilty in a Sydney court to engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event. A second charge of participating in a criminal group was withdrawn.

Macarthur FC player Clayton Lewis arrives at Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP Image via AP)

Lewis had previously pleaded not guilty to both charges, but reversed his plea to one of the charges after negotiating with prosecutors. The pair will face sentencing in September.

Davila has not yet entered pleas to the nine charges he faces. He will return to court next month.

Police said the betting scheme led to hundreds of thousands of dollars being paid out in winnings.

All players were stood down by the league. Davila’s contract with Macarthur FC was terminated shortly after his arrest. Baccus was released by the Bulls during the 2024 offseason and Lewis remains suspended.

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