A former A-League star and club captain has been granted more time to negotiate with prosecutors over a scheme he allegedly orchestrated to have teammates deliberately take yellow cards.
Ulises Davila, 34, appeared in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday and did not enter any pleas for the nine charges of conduct corrupting a betting outcome and directing a criminal group.
The charges against Davila relate to six separate games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons including a match on December 9, 2023 against Sydney FC.
In that game, Davila's teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus deliberately received yellow cards allegedly along with Davila when bets were placed on Macarthur to receive at least four yellow cards.
Baccus and Lewis admitted receiving $10,000 from Davila in exchange for receiving the yellow cards.
The pair were sentenced on Wednesday by a magistrate who said they were "right at the bottom of the scheme".
Lewis was cautioned for pushing an opponent in the chest and Baccus earned his yellow for a poor tackle on a Sydney player.
Davila was booked for delaying play by kicking the ball away.
Winning payouts for the bets placed in South America through gambling site Betplay and allegedly orchestrated by Davila totalled more than $167,000.
Before his arrest, Davila was one of the genuine stars of the A-League Men, winning the Johnny Warren Medal for best player in the league in 2020-21.
Davila's lawyer argued for a two-week adjournment to finalise the agreed facts but offered no indication about how he would plead.
Baccus and Lewis were sentenced to a two-year conditional release order, similar to a good behaviour bond, without recording a conviction in the Central Local Court on Wednesday.
In sentencing submissions, lawyers for the pair argued Davila was the ringleader who drew in Baccus and Lewis because of their prior gambling problems.
Davila was "not only the captain of the team, but the captain of the scheme," Baccus' lawyer Bryan Wrench said.
All three players were suspended by Macarthur FC after their arrests.
Davila and Baccus have since been released from their contracts.
Football Australia on Thursday confirmed Baccus and Lewis are still not allowed to return to playing football while the governing body performs its due diligence on the betting matter.
Davila will return to court on October 9.
