UEFA has delivered a historic strike against corruption in football, handing FK Arsenal Tivat a stunning 10-year ban for verified match-fixing offenses.
At a Glance
- UEFA imposed a 10-year ban on FK Arsenal Tivat from all European competitions through the 2034-35 season.
- The club received a €500,000 fine for breaching integrity rules.
- Five players, including Nikola Čelebić, were banned for ten years; Čelebić and official Ranko Krgović received lifetime bans.
- UEFA’s disciplinary body is urging FIFA to extend these sanctions worldwide.
- The sanctions follow irregularities in a 6–1 home loss during the 2023-24 Europa Conference League qualifiers against Alashkert FC.
A Club Out in the Cold
UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body announced the ban on July 16, 2025, after uncovering serious match-fixing in FK Arsenal Tivat’s Conference League qualifier tie with Alashkert FC. After a 1–1 away draw, the team suffered a shocking 6–1 defeat at home—an outcome strongly suggestive of manipulation. The fine and blanket ban enforce the body’s hardline stance on match integrity.
Key figures faced severe penalties: Čelebić and Krgović were both handed lifetime bans, while Cetko Manojlović, Radule Živković, and Dušan Puletić received ten-year suspensions. Off-field official Milan Vignjević got ten years, with others facing 6–8 years. UEFA has appealed to FIFA to enforce these sanctions globally.
Watch a report: ARSENAL PUNISHED FOR MATCH FIXING?! #footballnews – YouTube Short
Integrity at Stake
The sweeping punishments signal UEFA’s zero-tolerance approach to match manipulation, particularly targeting smaller clubs susceptible to corruption. This is one of the most significant integrity actions since the 2017 Skënderbeu case, reinforcing the message: European football will not tolerate foul play.
Supporters and officials alike are now confronted with deeper questions about vulnerabilities in lower-tier competitions and the need for stronger oversight. For UEFA, the banning of Arsenal Tivat signals an era of stricter enforcement, where the long-term health of the game depends on the trust of fans, players, and stakeholders.
