FIFA hands coach Getulio Aurelio Fredo indefinite global football activity ban

TALLINN - The international football federation FIFA has decided to hand former football coach Getulio Aurelio Fredo an indefinite global ban on being active in the field of football.

According to the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the ban covers all football-related activities, both administrative and sporting, at all levels and in all ways, both in and out of competition. The ban applies in all FIFA member countries.

The disciplinary committee of the Football Association on March 19 imposed an indefinite ban on coach Getulio Aurelio Fredo, who had sexual intercourse with a minor, from being active in the field of football. The decision was based on sections 4.1 of the disciplinary regulation of the association, which states that "individuals undertake to act in accordance with the principles of loyalty, honesty, sportsmanship and ethics", and 4.3.7, which deals with general good standards and practices. The disciplinary committee also found a breach of the coaches' code of ethics and noted that Getulio Aurelio Fredo had made statements in the press tarnishing the reputation of football.

"In the course of the proceedings, in addition to what has been reported in the press so far, we have collected important additional information that we will not disclose to protect the confidentiality of individuals, including information about the same period that the prosecutor's office has now begun to investigate, that is up until the year 2019. We emphasize that the procedure was conducted in accordance with the rules of the Estonian Football Association, according to which all parties were given the opportunity to present their views, while the initial deadline set for this was extended. Of course, the Football Association, as a sports organization, predominantly reviews violations through ethics in its proceedings, and a police investigation, where compliance with laws is checked, is another matter altogether," it was said in the statement issued by the disciplinary committee then.

The appeal committee of the Estonian Football Association on Tuesday decided not to satisfy Fredo's complaint and thus the ban on being active in the field of football previously imposed on him for an indefinite period remains in force.