Former Chelsea midfielder Ulises Dávila has confessed to leading a yellow card betting scheme that generated nearly £100,000 in illegal payouts — a scandal now regarded as one of the most serious cases of match-fixing in Australian football.
The 34-year-old Mexican, who captained Macarthur FC in the A-League, pleaded guilty in a Sydney court to facilitating and engaging in conduct that corrupted betting outcomes across six A-League matches between 2023 and 2024.
According to prosecutors, Dávila was the mastermind behind the operation, recruiting at least two of his teammates to deliberately collect yellow cards in specific matches, allowing coordinated bets to be placed on those events.
The fraudulent scheme centred on a December 2023 match against Sydney FC, where Dávila intentionally received a booking for kicking the ball away. Teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus were also cautioned — Lewis for shoving an opponent and Baccus for a reckless challenge.
Bets were reportedly placed predicting that Macarthur players would receive at least four yellow cards, yielding close to £100,000 in winnings from bookmakers.
Lewis and Baccus admitted to participating but told the court they only acted at Dávila’s request. Both described him as “not only the captain of the team, but the captain of the scheme.” They avoided convictions after receiving good-behaviour bonds, while Dávila now faces a potential custodial sentence.
Court documents revealed that Dávila paid each teammate around £5,000 for their involvement. All three players were immediately suspended by Macarthur FC and later released from their contracts.
Dávila’s guilty plea followed an agreement with prosecutors to withdraw eight additional charges, including allegations that he “directed and participated in a criminal group.” He is set to be sentenced on December 19 at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court.
Once hailed as a rising talent, Dávila became the first Mexican to sign for Chelsea in 2011 after an impressive showing at the U-20 World Cup. However, he never made a senior appearance due to work permit issues and spent his career on loan at clubs such as Vitesse Arnhem, Córdoba, Tenerife, and Vitória Setúbal.
After leaving Chelsea, he played for Santos Laguna, Delhi Dynamos, and Wellington Phoenix, before joining Macarthur FC, where he was named A-League Player of the Year in 2022.
The case has sparked outrage within Australian football, with integrity officials describing it as “a major breach of trust and professionalism.”
Dávila remains out on bail ahead of his December sentencing, where he faces potential jail time for manipulating match outcomes for profit.