FIFPro Imposes Bans for Ukrainian Players

The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) said a number of Ukrainian players have been suspended by the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA), without due process.

FFA Hold In The Shadows

The FFA Disciplinary and Ethics Committee imposed the lifetime bans that are based exclusively on accounts from anonymous sources of sports info.

FIFPro denounced the FFA's lack of accountability, saying the players have not been made aware of the action. The group laments the failure of a more in-depth investigation.

Many Players Left To Pay

The Ukrainian players face bans from professional sports for life. They had to pay an advance fee of $21,860 (CHF20,000) in order to appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), which has escalated since the FFA failed to cover its share of the price. The players have paid the FFA a fee for getting the banning orders and the records.

FIFPro added that "disciplinary proceedings, as well as any appeal, should be free of costs", since the existing structure is prohibiting players from seeking justice.

FIFA Approves FIFPro's Submission For Match-Fixing Investigation

FIFPro released its latest mobile app last September that allows anybody to anonymously investigate match-fixing in football. The app has been certified by FIFA as a legitimate platform for detecting alleged wrongdoing. The regulatory body and its department for ethics will also prosecute wrongdoing from the data obtained by the software.