UEFA places eight-year ban for FK Pobeda

FYR Macedonia club FK Pobeda have been banned from UEFA club competitions for eight years by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body, and the club president and a player banned for life from exercising any football-related duty, for breaching the principles of integrity and sportsmanship under Article 5 of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by manipulating the outcome of a match.

The match under investigation was the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie between FK Pobeda and FC Pyunik over two legs on 13 and 21 July 2004. The charges brought against FK Pobeda were based on reports received from the betting industry on irregular betting patterns and the declarations of several witnesses.

The decision was taken after a seven-hour meeting, during which the representatives of FK Pobeda were heard, as well as a betting expert. Under the Control and Disciplinary Body's decision, club president Aleksandar Zabrcanec is banned for life from exercising any football-related activity, as is the player Nikolce Zdraveski. FK Pobeda are suspended for eight years from participating in UEFA club competitions as from the 2009/10 season.

The world football body FIFA will be requested to extend the present decision so as to give it worldwide effect. An appeal may be lodged within three days of the receipt of the grounds for the decision.

Following the decision of the Control and Disciplinary Body to ban FK Pobeda from participating in UEFA club competitions for eight years, and the life ban imposed on both the club president and one player, the UEFA
President Michel Platini commented: «I very much welcome the firm stance taken by the Control and Disciplinary Body to severely punish any club or individual involved in manipulating the outcome of football matches.

This punishment sends a clear and strong signal that UEFA will not tolerate any fraudulent activity aimed at influencing the result of matches. This policy has recently been highlighted by several decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee, which notably included the appointment of additional disciplinary inspectors to investigate suspicious betting activities, and the extension of the Fraud Detection System to all of Europe's first and second-division matches, as well as to domestic cup competitions. No one should be in any doubt that UEFA will do its utmost to ensure the integrity of football matches in Europe and will deploy all necessary measures to do so. »