UEFA have issued a hefty 10-year ban on Montenegrin side FK Arsenal Tivat, along with a £434,000 fine, due to integrity breaches and match-fixing claims during their Conference League fixture. The club is barred from participating in any UEFA competitions, including the prestigious Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League, until at least the 2034-35 season.

Several players and staff members have been hit with bans following the probe. Defender Nikola Celebic and director Ranko Krgovic are facing lifetime bans from all football activities, with appeals made for FIFA to enforce these bans globally. Team captain Cetko Manojlovic, defender Radule Zivkovic, goalkeeper Dusan Puletic, and official Milan Vignjevic have all been handed ten-year bans.

Goalkeeper Christos Psomiadis is looking at an eight-year suspension, while club official Goran Janjusevic has received a six-year ban.

UEFA’s decision comes “following an investigation and disciplinary proceedings against FK Arsenal Tivat and other individuals in relation to alleged violations of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) during the 2023/24 UEFA Conference League matches between Alashkert FC and FK Arsenal Tivat in July 2023″.

FK Arsenal Tivat faced Armenian team Alashkert in a two-legged first qualifying round tie of the 2023-24 Conference League.

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The initial match between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw in Armenia on July 13, with Julian Montenegro’s first-half goal being equalised by Vitali Ustinov.

However, the rematch a week later saw a dramatically different outcome as Alashkert trounced Tivat 6-1, securing a 7-2 victory on aggregate.

Agdon Menezes netted a hat-trick to put Alashkert in the driving seat, before Boban Dordevic clawed one back to make it 3-1 on the night.

Yeison Bossa Racines then added a fourth, and late goals from Serob Grigoryan and Annan Mensah turned the match into a rout, each scoring in stoppage time.