Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: UEFA, Europa Conference League, Football
Luke Davies
UEFA has banned a club from its competition for ten years and handed them a huge fine for charges related to the integrity of matches, competitions and match-fixing.
European football’s governing body has slapped a side that competed in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League with a decade-long ban and €500,000 fine following an investigation into “alleged violations of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations” during a match between Alashkert FC and FK Arsenal Tivat in July 2023.
Montenegro-based side FK Arsenal Tivat will no longer be permitted to compete in UEFA-governed competitions – including the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League – until at least the 2034/35 season.
UEFA posted a statement on their official website on Wednesday afternoon.
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The statement read: “Following an investigation and disciplinary proceedings against FK Arsenal Tivat and other individuals in relation to alleged violations of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) during the 2023/24 UEFA Conference League matches between Alashkert FC and FK Arsenal Tivat in July 2023, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) has announced the following decisions:
Charges against FK Arsenal Tivat:
- General principles of conduct, Art. 11 D
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- Integrity of matches and competitions and match-fixing, Art. 12 DR
Decision
The CEDB has decided:
- To fine FK Arsenal Tivat €500,000 and to exclude FK Arsenal Tivat from participating in UEFA club competitions for the next ten (10) years (i.e. up to and including the 2034/35 season) for the violation of Art. 11 and 12 D
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- To request FIFA to extend worldwide the above-mentioned ban."
Several FK Arsenal Tivat players have also received hefty bans. Nikola Čelebić has been “banned from exercising any football-related activity for life”. Ćetko Manojlović “is banned from exercising any football-related activity for ten years”.
Radule Zivkovic and Dusan Puletic have also received ten-year bans for charges related to the “integrity of matches and competitions and match-fixing".
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The club’s sporting director, Ranko Krgovic, is also “banned from exercising any football-related activity for life”.
FK Radnicki Obrenovac official Milan Vignjevic has been slapped with a ten-year ban while fellow official Goran Janjusevic has received a six-year ban from football-related activities.
Christos Psomiadis has also been handed an eight-year ban.
This ban is the longest received by a club since FK Pobena of North Macedonia received an eight-year ban back in 2009.