FK Ventspils goalkeeper Kostiantyn Makhnovskyi has been given a 10-match European ban for "racist conduct" during the Latvian side's Europa League match at Malta's Gzira United, European football's governing body UEFA said on Thursday.

Ukrainian Makhnovskyi was sent off in stoppage time of the second qualifying round, second leg tie and Gzira's Senegalese forward Amadou Samb, who had already been substituted, was also shown a red card almost immediately afterwards for retaliating to the racist remarks.

Samb himself was banned for two games for "insulting others present at the match", UEFA said without giving any further details.

The match, played on 1 August, finished 2-2 and Ventspils won the tie 6-2 on aggregate.

A fight between the two teams was only reportedly averted thanks to the intervention of Gzira United club officials.

It was reported in the wake of the incident that the Latvian club had sent a letter to Gzira United with the intention of putting pressure on it to declare that the incident did not happen, and that there were no such racist comments passed by their goalkeeper. 

This news was confirmed by Gzira United President Sharlon Pace when contacted by The Malta Independent last week, who also said that the club is not ready to accede to such a request and has in fact reported the matter, and the letter, to UEFA.