Two coaches have been handed lifetime bans by world football governing body FIFA.
Over the years, FIFA has issued sanctions against a wide range of figures in the football world, including clubs, players, referees, and even high-ranking officials. However, lifetime bans remain a rare and severe punishment.
Prominent individuals who have received such bans include former FIFA vice president Jack Warner and ex-Brazilian FA chiefs Marco Polo del Nero and Ricardo Teixeira. Additionally, 63 players have been permanently barred from the sport for offenses like match-fixing, doping, and violence against officials.
In the realm of coaching, however, only two managers have ever been handed a lifetime suspension: Samson Siasia and Patrick Assoumou Eyi.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News
Samson Siasia’s Match-Fixing Scandal
)
Samson Siasia, a former Nigerian international striker who played for clubs like Nantes and Al Hilal, also managed his national team on two separate occasions. His coaching career came to an abrupt halt in 2019 when FIFA found him guilty of “agreeing to receive bribes in connection with match manipulation.”
The investigation linked Siasia to convicted Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal, leading to a lifetime ban from all football-related activities and a fine of 50,000 Swiss Francs. However, Siasia successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) two years later. While the court upheld his guilt, it reduced the suspension to five years and overturned the fine.
)
Patrick Assoumou Eyi’s Abuse Conviction
)
Earlier this year, former Gabon youth team coach Patrick Assoumou Eyi was found guilty of sexually abusing multiple young players under his charge. Allegations first emerged in 2021, prompting FIFA’s independent ethics committee to launch an investigation and provisionally suspend him.
Eyi later admitted to exploiting the young players. In a ruling supported by the international players’ union, FIFPRO, FIFA imposed a lifetime ban and a substantial fine of 1 million Swiss Francs (£878,000). The decision underscored FIFA’s zero-tolerance policy towards such egregious misconduct.
)
