Udinese stand by Okoye amidst ban from football

Serie A side Udinese have backed their Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye to return stronger after his recent ban

Udinese have come out in full support of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, who has been handed a two-month ban by the FIGC Federal Tribunal following an investigation into betting irregularities.

The Nigerian international was cleared of sporting fraud, a charge that could have resulted in a four-year suspension from football.

Cleared of match-fixing, but still sidelined

Okoye had been under scrutiny following suspicious betting patterns tied to his yellow card during a Serie A match against Lazio in March 2024.

While the spotlight initially suggested possible match-fixing, the Federal Tribunal ultimately dismissed all charges of sporting fraud. Instead, the ban was issued based on a violation of the generic principle of fairness under Article 4 of the Sporting Judicial Code.

In response, Udinese issued a firm statement backing their player, saying, “The Federal Tribunal of the FIGC has today excluded any involvement of the player Maduka Okoye in sporting fraud, fully accepting the arguments put forward by his lawyers.

“The club is satisfied that the athlete has been totally cleared of the insulting allegations of match-fixing.”

Udinese voice strong support

Despite the ban, which will take effect from Udinese’s Coppa Italia fixture against Carrarese on August 18, the club is standing by their goalkeeper.

“The club cannot help but reaffirm the maximum support to Okoye, who is waiting to read the motivation of the sentencing,” the statement continued. “Udinese reaffirm our full faith in the correct behaviour of Maduka.”

Okoye will miss six Serie A matches during this period and is expected to return to action on October 18.

The club’s vocal backing serves as a strong vote of confidence as the player works to move beyond the controversy.