Beautiful game turns ugly: three players charged in A-Leagues betting scam
Last December, 21 identical bets in the space of just one minute thousands of kilometres away set the stage for the biggest corruption scandal in Australian soccer.
It was a day of shame for the “battered” game, with the integrity of the A-Leagues competition in turmoil after three footballers were arrested in a betting scandal involving a South American crime lord called “The Controller”.
Football insiders say the scandal has “shocked” and “rattled” the game and some believe the devastating developments are another blow to the financially embattled A Leagues.
The Controller, police will allege, had been in contact with, and instructing, one of the A-Leagues’ biggest stars, Macarthur Bulls captain Ulises Davila.
Davila allegedly paid two younger teammates, Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus, up to $10,000 to deliberately receive yellow cards during games.
Sources close to the top of Australian soccer on Friday said they felt “shocked and betrayed”.
One player said it was “extraordinary” that footballers were allegedly getting themselves into this kind of trouble considering the amount of education in the A-Leagues about “integrity issues”.
“It’s actually mandatory (the integrity training) otherwise you can’t play – you get it presented to you about drugs, sportswashing … we know the rules,” the player told The Weekend Australian.
Last December, 21 identical bets in the space of just one minute thousands of kilometres away set the stage for the biggest corruption scandal in Australian soccer.
A South American criminal syndicate headed by a man police dubbed The Controller placed those bets on Macarthur FC to be handed over 3.5 yellow cards in an A-League game.
As the bets were placed in Birmingham, an alert popped up on the network of the UK Gambling Commission tasked with monitoring suspicious betting activity at home and abroad.
“Of the number of things we (police) spoke about was the disgust … these are people in a position who are paid a lot of money for the luxury of being a professional sportsman,” Organised Crime Squad Commander Superintendent Peter Faux said.
“There was surprise that it was in the biggest league in our country in relation to soccer so the motivation of the team was to get a brief of evidence to confirm it.”
Six months later three of the biggest stars in football would have their homes raided and charged with various corruption-related betting offences.
The trio were arrested after the NSW Organised Crime Squad-led investigation.
Those who love the game, like Socceroos great and commentator Robbie Slater, were deeply concerned late on Friday that the scandal could widen with a fourth player wanted for questioning.
“You look at these allegations and go, is this an isolated incident? You wonder if there are tentacles anywhere else?” Slater told The Weekend Australian.
“You have to wonder how far this must go … given they are looking at a fourth person.”
On Friday, NSW police assistant commissioner Michael Fitzgerald confirmed they were hoping to interview a fourth player who was out of the state.
“In the coming days we are hoping that the player returns to our state or we will be seeking his extradition,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
It was a brutal day for a league already on its knees and a week out from the A-Leagues grand final. The scandal added to a horror year for the code with the A-Leagues revealed to be in financial turmoil and believed to be almost broke.
As the A-Leagues deals with troubling money issues, soon after the scandal broke soccer insiders quietly debated if the junior players were paid enough, considering some are allegedly willing to do whatever it takes for more cash.
Mr Fitzgerald said the charges had damaged not only the athletes’ reputations but the leagues’ as well. “And while $10,000 may seem a lot of money to a young sportsperson, we will advise that is incredibly insignificant when you consider the damage (caused by) being charged with this offence and convicted,” he said.
“More importantly, it affects the confidence and trust their supporters have in these young sportspeople that they will always play to the best of their ability.
“We will allege these instances in November and December 2023 … that these players betrayed the trust of their supporters.”
Slater fumed about the alleged greediness of the players that has smeared the game when it just didn’t need it.
“It’s a shame upon our competition,” he said. “If the allegations are found to be true – these are incredibly greedy, selfish and unprofessional decisions, if true.”
He lamented that the headlines now weren’t focused on the sold-out semi-finals A-Leagues crowds but on the alleged crimes.
“We should be talking about the sold-out stadium at the Central Coast on Saturday and the other semi final that is sold out,” he said. “We’ve got Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham coming out next week … and the Arsenal women’s team coming out here … but, we are talking about this,” Slater said.
The police started their investigation in December. Strike Force Beaconview was established by State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad Gaming Unit to look into behaviour in matches. They were assisted by the UK Gambling Commission to investigate alleged yellow card manipulation by players attached to a Sydney football club.
The police’s investigations revealed Davila was the ringleader of the group and was allegedly taking instructions from a man – believed to be offshore in South America – to organise for yellow cards to occur during certain games in exchange for profit.
Police say the number of yellow cards was allegedly manipulated during games played on Friday, November 24, 2023, and Saturday, December 9, 2023.
NSW police said there were failed attempts allegedly made to control the number of yellow cards during games on April 20 and May 4 this year.
Then on Friday, police arrested 33-year-old Davila in South Coogee, while Lewis, 27, was arrested in Parramatta and Baccus, 32, in West Hoxton, near Liverpool.
Davila was taken to Mascot Police Station where he was charged with two counts of engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of an event, and two counts of facilitating conduct that corrupts a betting outcome of an event. The other players have been charged with engaging in conduct that corrupts betting outcome of an event, and participating in a criminal group.
Superintendent Faux said the alleged actions of the players sullied the integrity of the A-Leagues.
“These people are fortunate to be in a position where they are in some cases paid a lot of money to do something they love and … they have taken advantage of the position and brought down the integrity of not only themselves and the club they play for, but unfortunately the sport,” he said.
Macarthur FC management is understood to be floored by the allegations and they released a statement saying they were “shocked”.
“Integrity of our game is a foundation pillar and we will work closely with all relevant agencies on this matter,” they said.
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