FIFA Hands Down Global Bans for Match-fixers

(WFI) FIFA extends bans worldwide for players and match officials involved in match-fixing scandals following sanctions imposed by their confederations.

The sanctions, initially handed down by UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Estonian Football Association and the Tunisian Football Association, now have global effect.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee yesterday notified the respectiveconfederations and member associations about its worldwide bans, which relate to the following cases:

Referee Andranik Arsenyan and assistant referee Hovhannes Avagyan, both of Armenia, were banned from all football-related activities for life following a UEFA investigation relating to their admitted involvement in attempting to fix a Europa League match in July.

The Estonian Football Association banned the Estonian player Elvis Liivamägi from all football-related activities for life following domestic match-manipulation investigations.

The AFC has provisionally banned Lebanese referee Ali Sabbagh from all football-related activities until the AFC Disciplinary Committee has ruled on the referee attempting to rig an AFC Cup match in Singapore in April. It follows the worldwide extension of sanctions imposed on two Lebanese assistant referees involved in related investigations.

The Tunisian Football Association has provisionally suspended players Marouane Troudi and Mahmoud Dridi as well as the official Amir Jaziri from all football-related activities until the Tunisian FA Disciplinary Committee reaches a decision on the match-fixing cases.

The Tunisian FA is currently conducting its own investigations, in parallel with the criminal investigations of the Tunisian judicial authorities, which are still ongoing.

"FIFA continues to work closely with its member associations and the confederations to tackle the issue of match manipulation," world football's governing body said in a statement.

"As part of a ten-year programme of collaboration with INTERPOL, regional workshops are being organised all over the world to educate stakeholders and provide them with tools to better protect the integrity of the game."

Other FIFA initiatives include the signing of an integrity declaration by officials, the monitoring of the betting market via its subsidiary Early Warning System (EWS) and the setting up of an e-learning ethics tool, an integrity hotline and e-mail address, and a confidential reporting system.

Written by Mark Bisson

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