Black Stars and Strasbourg centre-back Alexander Djiku has been handed a ban by the French football authorities for engaging in sports betting activities.
The Ghana international is among among the seventy-six (76) players, team officials and coaches who were fingered following the invesitgation by the French Football Authorities since last season.
Djiku will miss the return of the French Ligue 1 matches over the serious offence and he will be absent for the big clash with giants PSG because of the ban.
The latter did not respect the ban on sports betting during the 2020-2021 season, included in the Sport Code.
”These offenses are committed even though, together, the LFP and the UNFP (the players’ union) carry out awareness or information campaigns with clubs on a daily basis “ the LFP in its press release.
”The Commission recalls that the actors of the competitions organized by the FFF or the LFP (including players, coaches, managers of professional football clubs) have a general ban on betting, online or in physical networks, on all football competitions, whether domestic or foreign “
Several Ligue 1 holders sanctioned
PSG women’s goalkeeper coach Guillaume Lemire received the heaviest penalty: four-match suspension and a fine of €1,000. Among the players, Samy El Khiar, midfielder at Quevilly-Rouen, is the most severely sanctioned: four-match suspension and a suspended fine of €2,000.
Five Ligue 1 players have also been punished: Auxerre goalkeeper Donovan Léon is suspended for five games, three of which are suspended. Irvin Cardona, the Brest striker (four matches including two suspended and a €1,500 fine), Sacha Delaye, Montpellier midfielder, and Alexander Djiku, Strasbourg defender (one match suspension) also miss the return of the Ligue 1. Jean-Charles Castelletto, defender of Nantes, is under threat of a heavy suspension: four suspended matches.
