NYON, Switzerland (AP) — A Russian referee was banned by UEFA for 10 years on Wednesday in a match-fixing case and Latvian club Ventspils must serve a seven-year ban from European competitions.
Sergey Lapochkin is banned from “exercising any refereeing activity at national and international level” until March 2031, UEFA said announcing verdicts from its disciplinary committee without specifying details.
Lapochkin, who was on the FIFA-managed list of international match officials since 2013, was provisionally suspended in March for failing to inform UEFA about an approach to corrupt a game.
That was reported to be Ventspils’ 1-0 loss to Bordeaux in a Europa League qualifying rounds game in July 2018.
UEFA said Ventspils is banned from European club competitions “up to and including the 2027-28 season.”
Two Ventspils officials charged with “fraud, bribery and/or corruption” and violating the integrity of games were also disciplined. Adlan Shishkanov was expelled from soccer for life and Nikolajs Djakins will serve a four-year ban.
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