FIFA bans match officials for life

FIFA bans match officials for life

Published Aug. 10, 2011 12:56 p.m. ET

FIFA has banned three Hungarian and three Bosnian match officials for life after they helped fix two international exhibitions.

All seven goals were scored from penalty kicks when Latvia played Bolivia and Bulgaria faced Estonia in a Feb. 9 double-header organized by a Singaporean fixer at Antalya, Turkey.

Crime syndicates are believed to have made millions of dollars betting on the fixed matches.

The match officials previously had been banned by their national federations.

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The Antalya case prompted FIFA to crack down on how international exhibitions are organized. It now has veto powers over referee appointments.

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