Marek Kalina receives record 20-year ban for match-fixing

The Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) Ethics Committee has issued a record-breaking penalty against goalkeeper Marek Kalina for match-fixing and corruption. The 29-year-old has received a 20-year ban from all football activities, the maximum possible sentence under disciplinary regulations, along with a fine of 500,000 Czech koruna.

According to the committee, Kalina was involved in 11 separate incidents of systematic match-fixing between 2021 and 2024, primarily while playing for the third-division club FK Zlínsko. The investigation revealed that Kalina accepted bribes ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 euros per match from official and former referee Pavel Býma to influence game outcomes. The committee noted that the player was not just a participant but was actively involved in organizing the manipulation of matches for profit.

The broader corruption scandal, which began in March, is also being investigated by Czech police. Authorities are looking into charges of fraud, bribery, and the legalization of criminal proceeds, with more than thirty individuals implicated in the organized criminal group. The scandal has already had significant consequences for Czech football, including the relegation of FK Zlínsko to the lowest regional league.