4 Maltese players banned for life for match-fixing
Malta bans 4 soccer players for life for match-fixing, including pair of brothers
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) -- Four players in Malta's soccer league have been banned for life for match-fixing by the country's governing body.
Gaetan Spiteri of Hamrun Spartans, Julian Briffa of Mqabba FC, and brothers Jermain and Chris Brincat of Floriana FC were penalized Monday.
Briffa could be given a partial amnesty by the federation for cooperating with investigators.
The matches in question were Malta league games played in 2012. Players have three days to announce their intentions to appeal.
Last year, Malta national team member Kevin Sammut was banned for life by the Union of European Football Associations for helping to fix a European Championship qualifier against Norway in 2007.
Sammut has an appeal pending with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
