Ex-Chelsea player pleads guilty after 34-year-old 'led yellow card fixing scam'

Former Chelsea player Ulises Davila has pleaded guilty to his role in a yellow card fixing scam. The midfielder was the first Mexican player to sign for the Blues when he joined in 2011, and days after his move from Chivas was confirmed, he went on loan to Vitesse Arnhem.

Unfortunately, Davila could not break into the team and find much success. Loans to Sabadell, Cordoba, Tenerife, and Vitoria Setubal followed before he departed Chelsea for good at the end of 2015.

Davila has enjoyed a well-travelled career since joining Santos Laguna in his native Mexico before a move to Delhi Dynamos and then on to Wellington Phoenix to become the A-League's first Mexican player. He transferred to Macarthur FC in 2021, where he has spent three years before leaving in June 2024.

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And he has now admitted his role in facilitating and engaging in conduct that corrupted betting outcomes relating to six top-flight matches in Australia’s A-League across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Davila has been accused of being the ringleader of a scheme that reportedly netted almost £100,000 in payouts from the bookies.

The former captain of Macarthur FC and A-League Player of the Year admitted in court on Thursday to orchestrating the operation, which involved two team-mates.

The scandal centres on a match against Sydney FC in December 2023, where Davila received a booking for kicking the ball away.

His actions were allegedly part of a coordinated effort that saw bets placed on Macarthur players receiving at least four yellow cards.

Macarthur’s Clayton Lewis was carded for pushing an opponent in the chest, and Kearyn Baccus was booked for a poor tackle.

Both escaped conviction with good-behaviour bonds, telling the court they acted at Davila’s request, describing him as “not only the captain of the team, but the captain of the scheme.”

All three players were suspended and subsequently released from their contracts at Macarthur.

Davila allegedly paid his team-mates around £5,000 each for their involvement. He is scheduled for sentencing on December 19.

Eight additional charges - including that Davila directed and participated in a criminal group - were withdrawn by prosecutors in the Downing Centre Local Court.

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