The PFAI have come out in defence of two Athlone Town players who have been banned for a year by the FAI.
Goalkeeper Igors Labuts and midfielder Dragos Sfrijan were both found to have breached three rules in relation to manipulating matches, betting and bringing the game into disrepute during a First Division clash against local rivals Longford Town in April.
Longford Town won the match 3-1, with the final goal coming in added time. All Longford Town players had no knowledge of the duo's plans.
In a strongly worded statement released by the PFAI on Thursday afternoon, the players' association said the two gulity verdicts came as a result of "half-baked innuendo".
No evidence exists that these players were guilty of any such offence. They cooperated fully with the investigation and provided all phone records and any bank accounts that they had to the FAI. None of these records were used at the hearing and no suggestion has been made that they indicated any untoward behaviour.
Questioning the validity of the panel which looked at the evidence, the PFAI claimed there was no rules in place for such a panel to sit.
The decision of the disciplinary panel makes no reference to the substantial expert evidence which contradicts the finding and ignores the fact that in 93.7% of all cases reported by the [Betting Fraud Detection System] betting monitor where irregular betting patterns exist, no sanctions were administered...
No player in the history of sport has been found guilty of match fixing on such little evidence. All of the comparative jurisprudence in Europe demonstrates a requirement for substantial proof in the face of such allegations. This case is an outlier.
Igors Labuts' and Dragos Sfrijan's 12-month bans mean that they cannot play anywhere in the world. The PFAI revealed they intend to appeal both bans. You can read their full statement here.
.@PFAIOfficial's Stephen McGuinness believes the investigation and decision involving Athlone Town has set a dangerous precedent. pic.twitter.com/6zFwKsqRQV
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) September 7, 2017
