The Saudi Arabian football federation (SAFF) has relegated a club and banned a number of officials following an investigation into match-fixing in its second-tier (First Division). The SAFF relegated Al-Mojzel to the Second Division and fined it 500,000 Riyals (€121,500) following an investigation, it said in a statement.

The club won the First Division to clinch promotion to the top-flight Saudi Professional League in April. Al-Mojzel has risen from the third-tier of Saudi football to the top division in just two years, and it is understood that concerns about the meteoric rise of the club prompted the Saudi Arabian government to launch an investigation, which it announced via Twitter on 3 July. The General Authority for Sports said that the SAFF was cooperating with the probe into matches in the country’s top division.

The SAFF also took the decision to ban club Chairman, Ahmed Al-Abdullah, an administrator and a player for life, issuing each of them with a 300,000 Riyal (€72,900) fine. Managers from rival First Division Club Hajer and Al-Feiha FC also faced similar penalties, along with other officials in a total of nine charges.