Davila to be sentenced in 2026 as FA imposes bans on three A-League players over spot-fixing
Ulises Davila faces sentencing for corrupt conduct next year; Football Australia bans Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus for at least four years, while Riku Danzaki receives a seven-year ban in a separate spot-fixing case.
SYDNEY — Ulises Davila, 34, the former Macarthur Bulls captain who previously drew interest from Chelsea, will be sentenced on February 18, 2026, after bail was extended at Sydney’s Downing Centre on December 19. Davila has pleaded guilty to charges including facilitating and engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event. Prosecutors allege he was the ringleader of a scheme in which he and two Macarthur teammates deliberately earned yellow cards to influence match results, with six fixtures across the 2023 and 2024 A-League seasons cited in court documents. Bets placed on Macarthur players receiving at least four cards generated payouts reported to exceed $200,000 through the betting site Betplay. Davila is alleged to have paid his former teammates, Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus, $10,000 each for their roles in the scheme.
The case has also led Football Australia to act against the players involved. Lewis and Baccus were handed suspensions of at least four years over the spot-fixing offences, with the sanctions backdated to May 17, 2024, when they received interim suspensions. The five-year bans are to be reduced by one year after the players complete 200 hours of unpaid football-related community service designed to support FA’s integrity and education programs. Their suspensions are set to expire in May 2028, at which point Lewis will be 31 and Baccus will be 36, effectively ending the pair’s professional careers in Australia.
Separately, former Western United winger Riku Danzaki was banned for seven years after a distinct spot-fixing incident in which he deliberately received a series of yellow cards. That sanction means Danzaki cannot play in Australia until June 1, 2032, when he would be 32. Football Australia said the community service element of the sanctions is intended to rehabilitate players and foster constructive engagement with the football community through the integrity and education programs. All three players have accepted their punishments and will not appeal.
The development comes as Australia’s top football governing body continues to address integrity concerns within the sport, including cases linked to the A-League era.”