Two Ukrainian league top flight sides Metalist Kharkiv and Karpaty Lviv were punished for match-fixing in the 2008 national championship, the league press service announced on Tuesday. The result of the match between the teams, which was played on April 19, 2008 and ended with a 4-0 win for Kharkiv, was annulled.
Karpaty Lviv's Moldovan defender Sergei Lashchenkov, who scored an own-goal and was sent off in the second half of the match, gave evidence later that the match was fixed. Both teams were handed a 25,000-dollar fine and were given a nine point deduction this season. As a result, Metalist Kharkiv have just one point, while Karpaty Lviv are minus one point after six matches. Metalist general manager Yevgeny Krasnikov was banned by Ukrainian Football Federation (FFU) for life, while Karpaty Lviv general manager Igor Dedyshin was handed a five-year ban.