Athlone players suspended for match fixing to serve 12-month ban after appeal is thrown out (original) (raw)

Dragos Sfrijan and (inset) Igors Labuts

Former Athlone Town players Igors Labuts and Dragos Sfrijan will serve 12-month bans for match fixing after their appeals were thrown out by an Independent Disciplinary Appeal Committee.

Both players were banned following a game between Athlone and Longford Town last April when they were investigated by the FAI following claims of irregular betting patterns.

The Football Association of Ireland today confirmed that an Independent Disciplinary Appeal Committee has rejected the appeal.

A statement read: "Both Igors Labuts and Dragos Sfrijan had been found to be in breach of three FAI rules:

• Rule 99: Bringing the Game into Disrepute
• Rule 105: Manipulating Matches
• Rule 106: Betting / Gambling

"The two players were subsequently banned from all football-related activities for 12 months.

"On Thursday, October 5, the Independent Disciplinary Appeal Committee met to hear the appeal from the two players. As Mr Sfrijan did not attend the hearing his appeal was dismissed. Mr Labuts’ appeal was rejected.

"The breach concerns Athlone Town's game against Longford Town in the SSE Airtricity League First Division on April 29, 2017.

"The FAI has a zero tolerance policy to match-fixing."