Former Chelsea prospect and Macarthur Bulls captain Ulises Davila will learn his fate in February after a Sydney court continued his bail. The 34-year-old attacking midfielder pleaded guilty earlier this year to serious charges of corrupting betting outcomes.
The Details of the Spot-Fixing Scheme
Davila is accused of masterminding a betting scam during the 2023 and 2024 A-League seasons. Court facts reveal he orchestrated a plot where he and teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus deliberately received yellow cards in at least six fixtures.
Bets were placed on Macarthur players receiving a minimum of four cards during those matches. The scheme, run through the gambling site Betplay, yielded winning payouts totalling more than $200,000. Davila subsequently paid Lewis and Baccus $10,000 each for their roles.
Sentencing and Sanctions for the Players Involved
Davila's sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2025, at Sydney's Downing Centre. Meanwhile, Football Australia has already handed down significant punishments to his former colleagues.
Lewis and Baccus, who were described by a magistrate as being 'right at the bottom of the scheme' and acting at Davila's behest, received five-year bans. These suspensions are backdated to 17 May 2024. The bans will be reduced to four years if each player completes 200 hours of unpaid football-related community service.
This means their suspensions are set to end in May 2028, effectively concluding Baccus's career and severely impacting Lewis's. All three players were suspended by Macarthur FC after their arrests and are no longer with the club.
A Wider Pattern of Corruption in Australian Football
This case is not isolated. In a separate incident, former Western United player Riku Danzaki was banned for seven years by Football Australia for deliberately receiving yellow cards for spot-fixing. The 25-year-old cannot play in Australia until 1 June 2032, which will also likely end his professional career.
Football Australia stated the community service element for Lewis and Baccus is designed to provide 'an avenue of rehabilitation and constructive engagement with the football community during their bans'. All players involved have accepted their punishments and will not appeal.
