Published on: December 19, 2025, at 12:33h.
Updated on: December 19, 2025, at 01:12h.
- Three ex-A-League players face suspensions for intentional yellow-card manipulation.
- Players were paid by an illegal betting syndicate to influence yellow card occurrences.
- The investigation revealed connections to international crime organizations.
Three former players from Australia’s premier soccer league, the A-League, have received significant suspensions due to involvement in spot-fixing activities.
Riku Danzaki, a former midfielder for Western United, alongside Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus from Macarthur FC, have been penalized for intentionally accumulating yellow cards in A-League games as part of illicit betting plots.
Danzaki, originating from Japan, faces a seven-year ban from all football activities, retroactively effective from June 1, when Football Australia initiated a precautionary suspension against him.
Both Lewis and Baccus from New Zealand and South Africa respectively confessed to accepting AU$10,000 each from former captain Ulises Davila to accumulate bookings in a match played in December 2023, as reported by Football Australia.
Connection to South American Criminal Organization
Davila, a Mexican who briefly signed with but did not play for Premier League club Chelsea, admitted to charges regarding his participation in activities corrupting a betting event in October and is awaiting sentencing. He, along with Lewis and Baccus, was arrested in May 2024.
The New South Wales Organized Crime Squad’s Gaming Unit commenced their inquiry into the players in December 2023, following a notification from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
Agents revealed they had uncovered proof that a “senior player” was being compensated by a South American crime syndicate to orchestrate yellow card incidents during matches. Law enforcement indicated that this player was in contact with a “controller,” identified as an organized crime operative based in South America.
The player’s responsibility was to “ensure that particular events transcribed during games, permitting illegal gambling on those outcomes,” in exchange for AU$10,000 per transaction, officials stated.
Significant Illegal Payments
The December 2023 match undergoing scrutiny was a 2-0 triumph for Macarthur over Sydney FC, during which four yellow cards were issued to players from the winning team, including Dávila, Lewis, and Baccus.
Two weeks earlier, Macarthur played to a 1-1 draw against Melbourne Victory in which Davila and another teammate received bookings.
Detective Superintendent Peter Faux remarked that “multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars were being funneled to gamblers” amid these events.
Spot-Fixing in Elite Leagues is Uncommon
Spot-fixing incidents primarily occur in lower-tier football leagues, where lower salaries may increase players’ susceptibility to bribery.
While A-League soccer is moderately popular within Australia, it ranks behind Australian Rules Football (AFL), the National Rugby League (NRL), and cricket, which collectively dominate the cultural and commercial sports landscape in the country.
Still, players in this league generally receive decent compensation, averaging AU$135,000 to AU$150,000 annually. However, had Davila succeeded at Chelsea, his earnings would likely have been realized in just one week.