Ukrainian football has been surprising audiences for the last few months: no conceeded matches and 13 goals in their last qualifiers have won them a chance to reach the World Cup 2014 topping Group H if everything goes smooth from now on.
There is however a dark cloud over Ukranian football, the expulsion of Metalist Kharkiv from the Champions League due to match fixing charges. This is just but one of the many examples plaguing European football and which have UEFA officials scrambling for a solution.
UEFA’s decision to expulse Metalist was upholded by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and served as proof of guilt for the club. Metalist has been charged guilty for fixing a match with rival club Karpaty Lviv during the 2007/2008 season. The result of the scandal blowing wide open were santions against both clubs, $25,000 in fines for both clubs, 6 players banned for up to 5 years and Metalist director Yevhen Krasnikov banned from all football activity for 5 years and a personal fine of $10,000.