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Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, who faced accusations of match-fixing, has been exonerated of all charges but has received a two-month suspension from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), according to the Serie A club.
The FIGC National Federal Court convened on Tuesday to review the allegations against the Nigerian player, and it “has ruled out any involvement of the athlete in sports misconduct, after accepting the defences presented by his attorneys,” Udinese said in a press release.
“During the trial, all charges of alleged sporting misconduct were dropped, and the decision to impose a two-month ban was based solely on a violation of the general principle of fairness (Article 4 of the Federal Sports Justice Code).
“The club has stated that it is satisfied with the court’s conclusion that the player was not involved in the infamous match-fixing theory. The club wishes to reiterate its full support for Okoye, who is awaiting the reasons for the decision. Udinese Calcio reasserts that it is firmly convinced of Maduka’s proper conduct.”
The 25-year-old Nigerian international was accused of intentionally receiving a booking during his team’s Serie A match against Lazio in March 2024.
The goalkeeper, who was born in Germany, received a yellow card for time-wasting, allegedly as part of an agreement with a friend who profited 120,000 euros ($140,000) from a bet.
The FIGC’s investigation concluded that there was no intent to manipulate the match, which could have led to a four-year penalty.
Nevertheless, Okoye, who joined Udinese in 2023, will be banned from August 18 to October 19. As a result, he will be sidelined for seven of his club’s matches—six in the league and one in the Coppa Italia.
