Udinese ‘full faith’ in Okoye after cleared of match-fixing | OneFootball

Udinese have released a statement in support of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye after he received a two-month ban for betting irregularities, but he was cleared of sporting fraud.

The shot-stopper had been at genuine risk of a four-year ban if the more serious charge of sporting fraud had been confirmed with a guilty verdict.

However, today the FIGC Federal Tribunal cleared him of those charges, instead imposing a two-month ban for a much lesser issue.

He had been accused of purposefully receiving a yellow card during the Serie A match against Lazio in March 2024 after a flurry of unusual betting activity around that outcome.

Udinese pleased Okoye cleared of match-fixing

ROME, ITALY – MARCH 11: Maduka Okoye of Udinese calcio during the Serie A TIM match between SS Lazio and Udinese Calcio Serie A TIM at Stadio Olimpico on March 11, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

“The Federal Tribunal of the FIGC has today excluded any involvement of the player Maduka Okoye in sporting fraud, fully accepting the arguments put forward by his lawyers,” read a statement from Udinese.

“In the courts, all the accusations of presumed sporting fraud were dismissed, and the decision to impose a two-month ban was exclusively with regards to violation of the generic principle of fairness (article 4 of the Sporting Judicial Code).

“The club is satisfied that the athlete has been totally cleared of the insulting allegations of match-fixing. The club cannot help but reaffirm the maximum support to Okoye, who is waiting to read the motivation of the sentencing.

“Udinese reaffirm our full faith in the correct behaviour of Maduka.”

The two-month ban will begin from the first official game of the season for Udinese, which is their scheduled Coppa Italia tie against Carrarese on August 18.

That means the goalkeeper will miss six Serie A matches and be back in action from October 18.