UEFA suspends Qarabag press officer for life

UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee has decided to suspend the press officer of the Azerbaijani Qarabag for life from all football-related activities, for behaviour related to racism and discrimination and for violating basic standards of decent behaviour.

UEFA confirmed on Thursday the final decision to sanction Nurlan Ibrahimov for his media statements and to ban any football-related activity for life from the date on which he was provisionally sanctioned on 3 March.

The Commission also announced that it would ask FIFA to extend this ban to the whole world and to fine al Qarabag 100,000 for violation of Articles 11.2.b and 14.1 of the regulations.

The press officer of the Azerbaijani team, which is Villarreal's Europa League rival, published on social networks a message calling for the end of the population of Armenia, a country in conflict with Azerbaijan.

According to the UEFA ethics body, these expressions violate articles 14(1) - racism and other discriminatory behaviour - and 11(2) - violation of the basic rules of decent conduct - of the disciplinary regulations.