Uefa has taken the unprecedented decision to ban a football club from all competitions for 10 years after they were found guilty of match fixing.
The ban has been imposed on Montenegrin club FK Arsenal Tivat removing them from all Uefa competitions until the 2034/2035 season.
The severe punishment comes after the club was found guilty of breaching Uefa's disciplinary code during their 2023/24 Conference League campaign.
The football governing body also levied a substantial €500,000 (£432,000) fine against the club for violations of Articles 11 and 12 of the Uefa Disciplinary Code.
These articles relate to general principles of conduct and the integrity of matches and competitions.
Getty
|FK Arsenal Tivat have been banned for all competitions until the end of the 2034/2035 season
Uefa said in their statement: "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 10 years (i.e. up to and including the 2034/35 season) for breaching Articles 11 and 12 of the Uefa Disciplinary Code."
The investigation centred on Arsenal Tivat's Conference League tie against Armenian side Alaskert FC in July 2023, which ended in controversy.
Beyond the club sanctions, Uefa has imposed severe individual punishments on players and officials involved in the scandal.
Star player Nikola Celebic received the harshest penalty - a lifetime suspension from all football-related activities for his role in the match-fixing scheme.
Club official Ranko Krgovic was handed a 10-year suspension from football activities.
The same decade-long ban was imposed on players Cetko Manojlovic, Radul Zivkovic and Dusan Puletic, as well as official Milan Vignjevic.
READ MORE: Sarina Wiegman issues strong message ahead of England's Euros quarter-final
Getty
|Multiple players received long term bans
Two other individuals received slightly reduced sentences, with Goran Janjusevic banned for six years and Christos Psomaidis suspended for eight years.
Uefa's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has indicated it will request Fifa to extend these bans worldwide.
The match that triggered the investigation saw Arsenal Tivat suffer a shocking 7-2 aggregate defeat to Alaskert FC.
After securing a respectable 1-1 draw in the first leg away in Armenia, the Montenegrin side collapsed at home.
The second leg ended in a devastating 6-1 loss, a result that raised immediate suspicions given the dramatic contrast with their first-leg performance.
This heavy home defeat ultimately led to Uefa's investigation into potential match manipulation.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
The Montenegrin Football Association confirmed the sanctions, stating that the club had been found guilty of breaching Uefa's regulations regarding match integrity during this specific Conference League qualifying round fixture.
The club gained notoriety in 2014 for an elaborate hoax claiming they had signed Cristiano Ronaldo.
The bizarre incident featured in a Sky Sports video with Jim White and reporter Johnny Phillips discussing the fictional transfer, even showing a contract with Ronaldo's name above the club's name on the front page.
PA | The club made a bizarre hoax singing of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2014
At the time, Ronaldo was five years into his Real Madrid career, making the supposed move to the Montenegrin side particularly implausible.
The stunt briefly thrust Arsenal Tivat into the international spotlight, though for entirely different reasons than their current predicament.
Uefa's disciplinary body has confirmed it will request Fifa to extend all individual bans worldwide, ensuring those sanctioned cannot participate in football activities in any country.