NYON, Switzerland — A Macedonian soccer team was banned from European play for eight years Friday because its president and a former player fixed the outcome of a Champions League game in a betting coup.

FK Pobeda team president Aleksandar Zabrcanec and former captain Nikolce Zdravevski received lifetime bans from all soccer activities in Europe. European soccer's ruling body made its ruling after a seven-hour hearing.

"This punishment sends a clear and strong signal that UEFA will not tolerate any fraudulent activity aimed at influencing the result of matches," UEFA president Michel Platini said.

UEFA will ask soccer's world governing body to ban Zabrcanec and Zdravevski worldwide. Macedonia's soccer federation said Pobeda intended to appeal.

The panel said the club president and ex-captain made sure Pobeda lost a Champions League qualifying game against the Armenian club Pyunik in 2004. Pobeda lost 3-1 in the first leg at home after going three goals down in the first half. Pobeda lost 4-2 on total goals.

UEFA monitors games in the top two divisions in all European countries plus domestic cup competitions. This was the second time UEFA sanctioned a club for match-fixing, but the first in which a club official or player was found guilty.

The Greek club Egaleo FC was fined $41,500 in 2006 for "violation of the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship" and "creating favorable conditions for illegal betting practices."

Pobeda qualified for the Champions League in 2004 by winning the national league title. It was champion again three seasons later and again lost in the first qualifying round of the next season's Champions League.

The club had no chance of qualifying for European play next season. It is ninth in the 11-team top division and has been knocked out of the domestic cup.