A-League: Macarthur FC captain arrested over betting corruption

Three A-League players have been arrested on allegations of betting corruption, including Macarthur FC captain Ulises Davila.

The New South Wales Police announced the arrests in a statement on Friday, following an extensive investigation led by the NSW Organised Crime Squad.

The players — all connected to Macarthur FC, a top-flight soccer club based in southwestern Sydney — were apprehended early Friday morning during coordinated raids across various suburbs, including South Coogee, Parramatta, West Hoxton and Emu Plains.

The suspects, aged 27, 32 and 33, are expected to face charges related to corrupting betting outcomes.

According to NSW Police, the senior player among those arrested is alleged to have received instructions from an individual believed to be in South America.

This individual purportedly directed the player to engineer yellow cards in specific matches in exchange for financial gain.

These incidents reportedly occurred during games on November 24 and December 9 in 2023, while there were also failed attempts to manipulate yellow cards on April 20 and May 4 this year.

The investigation, dubbed Strike Force Beaconview, was launched in December 2023 with assistance from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.

The two younger suspects are expected to be charged with engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome, while the 33-year-old faces two charges of facilitating such conduct.

A spokesperson for Football Australia confirmed the players’ scheduled court appearance on Friday afternoon and emphasised the organisation’s cooperation with various law enforcement and integrity agencies.

“Football Australia is fully cooperating with the Organised Crime Squad, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Sport Integrity Australia, and the NSW Crime Commission in this matter,” the spokesperson said.

“We will provide no further comments at this stage as the investigation is ongoing.”

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL), which governs the A-League, has also weighed in, underscoring the importance of maintaining the sport’s integrity.

“The work to protect the integrity of our game must be unwavering, and we are liaising closely with all relevant agencies on this matter,” the APL said in a statement.

“Given the ongoing nature of the investigation and police inquiries, we are unable to comment further at this time.”

As the A-League gears up for the second-leg matches of the semi-finals this Saturday, the spotlight is firmly on the unfolding scandal.

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