• European football’s governing body, UEFA, has banned Montenegrin club FK Arsenal Tivat from its competitions for ten years following a match-fixing investigation.
• The sanction, which includes a €500,000 fine, relates to a UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier in July 2023, where the club lost 6-1 to Armenian side Alashkert.
• Two individuals, player Nikola Celebic and official Ranko Krgovic, have been handed lifetime bans from all football-related activities.
• Several other players and officials received lengthy bans ranging from six months to ten years for their part in violating the integrity of the competition.
• UEFA has requested that FIFA, world football’s governing body, extend all sanctions to have a worldwide effect.

UEFA Delivers Severe Sanctions for Integrity Breach

In a firm demonstration of its zero-tolerance policy on corruption in football, UEFA has handed Montenegrin club FK Arsenal Tivat a decade-long ban from all European competitions. The ruling by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) follows a comprehensive investigation into match-fixing activities surrounding the club’s 2023-24 UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round tie.

The case centres on the second leg of their fixture against Armenian club Alashkert in July 2023. After a credible 1-1 draw in the first leg away from home, Arsenal Tivat collapsed to a 6-1 defeat in the home fixture. This result immediately triggered integrity alerts, prompting a thorough investigation which found the club and associated individuals guilty of breaching Article 11 (General principles of conduct) and Article 12 (Integrity of matches and competitions and match-fixing) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.

In addition to the exclusion from UEFA club competitions until the conclusion of the 2033-34 season, the club has been issued a substantial €500,000 fine.

Lifetime Bans for Key Individuals

The investigation identified and penalised several individuals for their roles in the affair, with two receiving lifetime bans from the sport.

Nikola Celebic, a veteran defender, and Ranko Krgovic, an official who was serving as the club’s sporting director at the time, have both been barred from any football-related activity for life.

Further sanctions were distributed among other team members and officials. Cetko Manojlovic, the team’s captain, and players Radule Zivkovic and Dusan Puletic each received ten-year bans. Club official Milan Vignjevic was also handed a ten-year ban for his involvement.

Lesser bans were issued to official Goran Janjusevic (six months) and Greek player Christos Psomiadis (eight years). In all instances, UEFA has formally requested that FIFA extend the sanctions globally, ensuring the individuals cannot operate in any capacity within the sport, regardless of jurisdiction. This decisive action from UEFA underscores the critical importance of maintaining sporting integrity, a cornerstone of the relationship between sports and the regulated betting industry.