The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has handed down a series of lengthy suspensions and financial penalties following a match-fixing investigation involving Third League club FC Vulturii Fărcăşeşti.
According to the FRF, the case centred on the manipulation of matches for betting purposes and involved club officials, coaches and several players.
The most severe sanctions were imposed on Club President Robert Mihai Dumitru and delegate Robert Fănuţ Vlăduţoiu, Head Coach Alexandru Opriţa who each received a two-year suspension and a sporting fines up to RON 200,000.
A number of players were also sanctioned. Among them, Samson Nwabueze, Horațiu Peia, Ionuţ Alexandru Mainerici, Robert Mădălin Bubuioc, Gabriel Marin Oita and Răzvan Florentin Vulpe each received one-year suspensions and sporting fines of RON 200,000.
Elsewhere, FC Jiul Petroşani President Erika Preda received a one-month suspension and a sporting fine of RON 10,000 in connection with the same case.
Referee Iuliana Demetrescu and match observer Alina Mihoc were each issued with formal warnings.
The sanctions form part of the FRF's ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of Romanian football and combat betting-related match manipulation.
A match-fixing scandal larger in scope came to light in another European country earlier this year. In March, the Czech National Centre Against Organised Crime launched an operation into suspected match-fixing.
The investigation led to 32 people being charged, including football players, officials and referees. The charges include corruption, fraud, participation in an organised crime group and money laundering. The suspects were allegedly influencing matches in the top division and lower competitions.
Earlier this month, Romania’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN) held a public consultation on two draft orders aimed at strengthening requirements for remote gambling operators
