- Three players are charged with gambling-related offenses
- Will appear in court this month and in June
- All three players have retired from football
New Zealand All Whites stalwart Ben Sigmund fears the ‘damage’ the arrest of New Zealand international Clayton Lewis has done to his promising career following his arrest for alleged gambling corruption.
Lewis, 27, was one of three Macarthur FC players Arrested on Friday for alleged manipulation of the yellow card in A-League matches this season following an investigation by NSW Police.
Macarthur’s Mexican captain Ulises Davila, who was also a teammate of Lewis at Wellington Phoenix, and Bulls midfielder Kearyn Baccus were also arrested.
Davila never played high-level football for Mexico, while Baccus’ only time in an Australian side was at Under 17 level. Their future in the A-League is now under a cloud following their arrest.
But Lewis, a former Olympian, would be included in New Zealand’s squad for the upcoming Oceania Nations Cup.
Clayton Lewis (left) plays for New Zealand against the Australian Socceroos in 2019
Lewis was one of three A-League players arrested for his alleged role in gambling corruption
He was also on course to play in the 2026 World Cup, with the All Blacks expected to qualify for the expanded 48-team tournament that now guarantees a place for an Oceanian nation.
But the World Cup dream of Lewis, who was accused of conduct corrupting the betting outcome of an event amid police allegations that he shared at least $10,000 in payments, now appears uncertain.
“Clayton Lewis has done a great job getting himself into the A-League and back into the All Whites,” former Phoenix and New Zealand defender Sigmund told radio program Newstalk ZB.
‘What damage this is [arrest] Maybe, I don’t know,” he said.
‘It will be interesting to see what happens next. It’s people’s careers in terms of these young players.
Lewis, right, played for the Macarthur Bulls in the Australian A-League competition
Lewis played 27 games for the All Whites and made his senior national team debut in 2015 as a teenager.
He has made 26 appearances in the A-League for Macarthur this season, having spent the previous three years with the Phoenix.
Lewis was also part of the New Zealand under-23 team that competed in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.