UEFA have banned a disgraced team from competing in European competition for TEN YEARS.
The football federation hit the Montenegro side FK Arsenal Tivat with the punishment after the club was found guilty of match fixing.
APFK Arsenal Tivat have been banned by Uefa[/caption]
Arsenal Tivat took part in the Conference League during the 2023/24 season.
The club was investigated along with other individuals in relation to breaches of the Uefa disciplinary code during their tie with Alaskert FC.
Arsenal Tivat were thumped by the Armenian outfit 7-2 in July 2023 on aggregate after losing the second leg 6-1 at home.
The hefty defeat came as a shock as they had picked up a 1-1 draw in the first leg away in Armenia.
The Montenegrin FA confirmed the ban and revealed that the club would not be able to compete in European competition for the next decade.
It also stated that it was hit with a hefty fine of €500,000 (£432,000) for breaching Articles 11 and 12.
A statement read: “The charges against FK Arsenal Tivat relate to the general principles of conduct under Article 11 of the UEFA Disciplinary Code and the integrity of matches and competitions (match fixing) under Article 12 of the UEFA Disciplinary Code.
“The decision of the CEDB in the case of FK Arsenal Tivat is a fine of €500,000 and the exclusion of FK Arsenal Tivat from participating in UEFA club competitions for ten years (i.e. up to and including the 2034/35 season) for breaching Articles 11 and 12 of the UEFA Disciplinary Code.”
Furthermore, charges by Uefa have been filed against Arsenal Tivat star Nikola Celebic and official Ranko Krgovic.
Celebic has been hit with a lifetime suspension from all football-related activities for match-fixing.
Krgovic has been handed a ten-year suspension.
They are not the only two members to be hit with suspensions.
Other players to be banned for the next ten years include Cetko Manojlovic, Radul Zivkovic and Dusan Puletic.
Official Milan Vignjevic has also been slappedwith a decade long ban.
But Goran Janjusevic and Christos Psomaidis will only be banned for six and eight years.
The Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body board will request to Fifa that the bans are extended worldwide.
Some fans might remember the Montenegrin minnows from once claiming to have signed Cristiano Ronaldo.
In January 2014, Arsenal Tivat featured in a bizzare Sky Sports video in which Jime White and reporter Johnny Phillips spoke about the fictional transfer.
Ronaldo, 40, only five years into his eight-year stay at Real Madrid at the time of the supposed transfer.
The clip even showed a contract with Ronaldo’s name above the club’s name on the front page.
Getty – ContributorThe club claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo had joined them in 2014[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/fk.arsenal.tivat/The club shared a bizzare video from Sky Sports featuring Jim White[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/fk.arsenal.tivat/The clip showed a contract between Ronaldo and the club[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
