Estonian players banned by FIFA over match fixing claims

Thirteen Estonian and Slovakian football players have been banned by football's governing body FIFA for match fixing, Eurosport reports. 

FIFA said that two of the Estonian-based players have been provisionally banned until Dec. 31 and another 10 until March 31, 2015, as a part of an ongoing investigation started in 2011. 

"The Estonian FA has been cooperating with national judicial authorities after the state prosecutor office opened fraud investigations in 2011 and has subsequently opened its own proceedings against several players," said FIFA in a statement.

"In these 12 cases, the (Estonian FA) disciplinary committee is expected to render final decisions by the end of the year once all the necessary elements have been analyzed," added the statement.

The 13th player, Yaroslav Dmitriev, has been given a life ban from all football-related activities, FIFA said. FIFA said that the Slovak cases involved Ivan Hodur and Robert Rak, who have been banned for 11 and 15 years respectively over the manipulation of club friendly matches in 2011.

Hodur's ban will run on top of a 14-year suspension imposed on him last December over a separate case, bringing his total ban to 25 years, FIFA said. He was among six players banned for between 14 and 25 years over match-manipulation in the Slovak league in the 2013-14 season, FIFA said.