World Football Players' Union FIFPro Questions UEFA's 10-Year Ban For Kevin Sammut

World football players' union FIFPro is "extremely concerned" about the process that led to Malta defender Kevin Sammut "being banned for 10 years by UEFA for match-fixing," according to REUTERS. FIFPro explained in a statement that UEFA's case against the 31-year-old "was based largely on the evidence of a member of a criminal gambling syndicate and questioned whether European soccer's governing body was capable of handing such a case." FIFPro said, "The suspension follows accusations made by...a former member of a gambling syndicate who was sentenced in 2011 by the court of Bochum, Germany, for manipulating matches. To what extent can this accuser with a criminal background be trusted?" The union added that "it was highly unlikely Sammut was the only person involved in the affair" (REUTERS, 8/24).