UEFA issues 10-year ban to Montenegro’s FK Arsenal Tivat over match-fixing

European football governing body UEFA has handed a 10-year ban to Montenegrin club FK Arsenal Tivat and several of its players and officials for their role in match-fixing activities.

The case relates to a 2023-24 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying tie with Armenian side Alashkert in June 2023. The first leg resulted in a 1-1 draw, but Arsenal Tivat lost 6-1 at home in the second leg.

According to Uefa, Arsenal Tivat violated article 11 of its disciplinary regulations, referring to “general principles of conduct”. Arsenal Tivat was also ruled to have breached article 12, in relation to the integrity of matches and competitions and match-fixing.

Uefa did not go into further detail on the matter. However, it did confirm a lengthy ban for the club, making it ineligible to play in any UEFA team competitions for the next 10 years, until the end of the 2033-34 season.

UEFA, which also imposed a €500,000 ($579,460) fine, requested football’s global governing body Fifa to extend the ban worldwide. All orders were made by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.

Arsenal Tivat players and officials also face sanctions

In addition to penalising the club, UEFA placed sanctions on certain players and officials who were with the team at the time.

Nikola Celebic, who played more than 300 games during his career, was issued a lifetime ban from the sport. Uefa ordered the same punishment for Ranko Krgovic, who worked as an official with Arsenal Tivat.

Cetko Manojlovic, the team’s current captain, has been banned for 10 years, as has Radule Zivkovic, who currently plays as a defender for Mladost DG in Montenegro. A 10-year ban was also issued to goalkeeper Dusan Puletic and club official Milan Vignjevic.

Official Goran Janjusevic was handed a six-month ban from football, along with Greek player Christos Psomiadis.

In all cases, UEFA requested that Fifa make the sanctions enforceable on a worldwide basis.