NICOSIA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus Football Association (CFA) said on Wednesday the second division championship will go ahead as of the coming weekend, after a week-long suspension prompted by suspicion about match fixing.
CFA warned teams that would be named in reports by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) about match fixing that they would face steep penalties, starting with fines and progressing to suspension of their yearly CFA grant of 60,000 euros, deduction of points and finally striking clubs out of its registry.
CFA also changed the rules of the championship as of the next season by splitting the second division clubs into two groups of eight, with the top four from each group facing off to decide which two will get promoted to the first division.
The teams finishing in the final four places of each group will play each other to decide which four teams are relegated to the third division.
CFA Chairman Georgios Koumas, announcing the resumption of fixtures, told reporters UEFA was consulted during the decision-making process.
"The situation was so critical that we needed to take charge and make decisions," Koumas said.
The suspension was decided after UEFA sent so-called "red files" on at least seven second division clubs suspected of match fixing after unusually heavy betting was noted in Asian betting agencies in early April.
The files are being investigated by the police.
