Skenderbeu given one-year ban from European competition on match-fixing allegations
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TIRANA, June 6 - Albania's sixth straight Superliga winners Skenderbeu have been given a one-year ban from European competitions following a UEFA probe on match-fixing allegations, the club said on Monday.
While UEFA's disciplinary committee has not officially published the decision yet, the Korà§a-based club in southeastern Albania says a decision by Europe's football governing body has unfairly suspended it from European cups for the 2016-2017 season.
"We are sure that our club will win the denied right by UEFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport," said Skenderbeu, describing the decision as unfair and unfounded.
With Skenderbeu, little likely to succeed in the UEFA Appeals Body and the Lausanne-based CAS court, second-placed Partizani will likely be eligible to play in the Champions League qualifying rounds while Tirana will join Teuta and Kukesi in the Europa League campaign. Partizani who have been trophyless for more than two decades are expected to be finally crowned champions by the Albanian football association which could strip Skenderbeu of their latest Superliga title.
Skenderbeu, who won their sixth straight Supeliga title in a final day battle with rivals Partizani, says its achievements have been merit-based and would provide all necessary explanations to UEFA inspectors during hearings in the past couple of weeks.
“UEFA inspectors have cast doubts on the honesty of our results in some Albanian championship matches against Partizani, Teuta, Tirana and Vllaznia and in European cups. The investigation was launched based on information obtained by Albanian and foreign betting companies, allegations on social networks by opponent fans and specific media outlets,” Skenderbeu earlier said in a statement.
Last year, Brussels-based Federbet gaming anti-corruption organization, cast match-fixing doubts on several of Skenderbeu fixtures, including the UEFA Champions League qualifying round with Northern Ireland’s Crusaders and UEFA group stage matches with Lokomotiv Moscow, Dinamo Zagreb and Sporting Lisbon.
Skenderbeu ended their Europa League campaign with a 3-0 home defeat against Russia’s Lokomotiv Moscow, finishing bottom in Group H, but making history as the first Albanian club to have made it to the group stage of a major European competition. Skenderbeu earned only three points from a 3-0 home victory against Sporting Lisbon.
Skenderbeu entered the Europa League after failing to qualify in the more prestigious UEFA Champions League after losing to Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb in the play-off stage.
Skenderbeu have been dominating Albanian football for the past six years although having previously won only a single title back in the early 1930s. The Snow Wolves’ success has come thanks to huge investment that brought to the southeastern club in the city of Korà§a promising Albanian and foreign players.
