UEFA has issued a ten-year ban on FK Arsenal Tivat from all European competitions, citing match‑fixing during their 2023–24 Conference League tie against Alashkert FC.
The club also received a €500,000 fine, while several individuals (including player Nikola Celebic and club official Ranko Krgovic) were hit with long-term bans — including a lifetime ban for Celebic.
Here’s a clear breakdown of what actually happened in the FK Arsenal Tivat scandal:
🔍 The Match in Question
■During the 2023–24 Europa Conference League qualifiers in July 2023, Arsenal Tivat faced Armenian side Alashkert FC.
•••First leg: 1–1 draw in Armenia.
•••Second leg at home: an astonishing 6–1 defeat, including two goals scored in added time despite heavy betting on multiple goals.
This triggered suspicion, especially after large bets were placed on over‑goals markets—some sites saw bets of €250,000+ on “2+ goals first half”
Ok!Let’s do a deep dive into how this scandal around FK Arsenal Tivat unfolded — focusing on UEFA’s investigation process, betting monitoring systems, and how match-fixing is actually detected and prosecuted.
🔍1.How UEFA Detects Match-Fixing
UEFA doesn’t act just on rumors: it runs an advanced, multi-layered monitoring system:
✅ Betting Fraud Detection System (BFDS):
•••Operated in partnership with Swiss-based Sportradar.
•••Monitors over 30,000 matches per season (including UEFA, domestic leagues, youth tournaments).
•••Compares real-time betting odds movements across hundreds of bookmakers worldwide.
•••Generates an alert if there is suspicious betting activity (e.g., sudden large bets on specific outcomes like “over 1.5 goals” or “next goal”).
📈In Arsenal Tivat’s case:
•••A surge in large bets on over-goals and exact score markets appeared right before kick-off and even during the second leg.
•••The match finished 6–1 to Alashkert — an unlikely result given the evenly balanced first leg (1–1).
•••Late goals (including two in stoppage time) matched betting patterns.
2.The Investigation Process
Once an alert is triggered, UEFA’s Control,Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) starts a multi-step process:
1.Collect evidence:
•••Betting data, communication logs, financial transactions.
•••Player and staff interviews.
2.Involve integrity officers:
•••Each UEFA federation has an integrity officer who liaises with clubs and law enforcement.
3.Hearing:
•••The club and accused individuals are invited to explain anomalies.
4.Decision & sanctions:
•••CEDB issues bans, fines, and reports the case to FIFA for global enforcement.
UEFA is not a criminal court; it applies disciplinary rules. But its findings are often handed to police or prosecutors.
🎯 UEFA Investigation & Findings
■UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) ruled the club violated:
•••Article 11: General principles of conduct.
•••Article 12: Match integrity/match‑fixing
■UEFA imposed a 10-year ban on the club (until the 2034–35 season) and fined them €500,000
🚫 Individual Sanctions:
Nikola Ćelebić:Player-Lifetime
Ranko Krgovic:Sporting Director-Lifetime
Cetko Manojlovic:Player (Captain)-10 years
Radule Zivkovic:Player-10 years
Dusan Puletic:Player-10 years
Milan Vignjevic:Official (Radnicki)-10 years
Goran Janjusevic:Official (Radnicki)-6 years
Christos Psomiadis:Official-8 years
UEFA has asked FIFA to impose these bans globally .
🔮What Happens Next?
1.FIFA is likely to enforce the bans worldwide — extending the sanctions into all competitions.
2.The club faces a long recovery period and lost revenue from missing out on European competition.
3.This reinforces UEFA’s zero-tolerance approach to integrity violations, serving as a precedent for future cases across football.
✅ Summary
■Strange betting activity alerted UEFA to possible fixed outcomes.
■The 6–1 home loss with late goals was deemed suspicious.
■UEFA found violations and punished the club (10‑year ban + €500k fine) and individuals (lifetime/long-term bans).
■The case reinforces UEFA’s integrity policy and raises concerns about governance in smaller competitions.
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