Zvonko Ceklić sidelined for 18 months amid match-fixing scandal
Zvonko Ceklić won't appear on the field for the next year and a half. The player was suspended due to an allegation of match-fixing. A suspicious recording from the match is available online.
19 April 2024 18:16
Regarding the suspension of Zvonko Ceklic, we read on the profile "Football in Montenegro". The authorities of the local league responded to an event during the stoppage time of the first half in the match between Mladost Donja Gorica and Decić.
The match concluded with the guests’ victory at 3:0, and it was at the last minute before the break that the first goal was scored. Bojan Matić was the scorer. The player received a pass from a teammate who broke into the penalty area, making it an easy finish for him.
Zvonko Ceklić behaved unusually in this situation. The Mladost defender was near the scorer, but rather than attempting to block the shot, he jumped away from the ball and even lifted his leg. Montenegrins doubt this was a coincidence, and Zvonko Ceklic's emotional reaction after the goal doesn’t convince them otherwise.
Zvonko Ceklić has been suspended for a year and a half and, unless the decision changes, he will be out of football until 2025. The defender has not played since the suspicious match with Decić, which occurred on 24th February, as he was removed from the lineup. The coach substituted him at half-time, shortly after the unusual goal.
The suspended player has represented Montenegro in both junior and youth national teams. His club career has mostly involved teams in his home country. He joined Mladost Donja Gorica on loan from Buducnost Podgorica.
The Montenegrin league is among the lowest-ranked in Europe. Currently, it's third from the bottom in the UEFA national ranking, only ahead of Gibraltar and San Marino. Interest in such low-tier competitions is minimal, and they are further marred by scandals such as the one involving Zvonko Ceklic.
