AC Milan Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic could face a three-year ban due to his shareholding in Malta-based betting operator Bethard.
According to a report in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, the issue lies with Ibrahimovic’s company Unknown AB owning a 10% stake in Bethard.
The Swedish Football Association has been aware of the player’s partnership with the betting company since he was announced as an ambassador back in 2018. At that time general secretary of the Swedish Football Association Hakan Sjjstrand said:
“According to FIFA’s regulations and code of ethics, no player may directly or indirectly own shares in betting companies. I stick to the facts and can only account for what applies to all nations and players who will participate in the World Cup.”
It’s unclear as to whether or not the Swedish FA understood the player’s relationship with Bethard went beyond brand ambassadorship as the shareholding issue has only been brought to light recently by Aftonbladet.
FIFA and UEFA do not allow players to have a financial stake in betting companies and could be forced to hand out a ban to the striker.
The maximum penalty will be a three-year ban and/or a fine of up to SEK 1 million. A ban of any longer than 6 months would almost certainly see the player, who turns 40 in October, forced into retirement.
Image credit: Andy Witchger / CC BY 2.0
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.