UEFA has banned Montenegrin club FK Arsenal Tivat from all European competitions for 10 years following a match-fixing investigation related to their UEFA Conference League qualifier against Armenian side Alashkert in July 2023.
In addition to the ban, UEFA has fined the club €500,000 and requested FIFA to extend sanctions against several individuals involved to a global level. The ban will run through the 2034–35 season.
The investigation centred on the second-leg fixture in Montenegro, where Arsenal Tivat were thrashed 6-1 after drawing 1-1 in the first leg. UEFA concluded that the club had breached Article 11 (general principles of conduct) and Article 12 (integrity of matches and competitions and match-fixing) of its disciplinary regulations.
Arsenal Tivat player Nikola Celebic and club official Ranko Krgovic have been banned for life from all football-related activities. Three other players, Cetko Manojlovic, Dusan Puletic, and Radule Zivkovic, received 10-year bans.
Despite surviving relegation via a playoff last season, the Montenegrin side now faces a major setback as they are barred from continental competitions for the next decade, dealing a significant blow to their sporting and financial future.
