Konami and UK retailer PLAY today announced that they have been forced to disqualify a leading Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 player from an ongoing PES competition that is set to conclude at London’s Wembley Stadium during the weekend of March 15-16. What for, you ask? Cheating.

Konami did not name the player, but did warn that if anyone else attempts pulling a similar stunt that they too will forfeit their chance to win £50,000 and will face a ban of up to one year from PES Rankings.

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH and Play.com: A Statement

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH and Play.com have issued a statement regarding cheating within its current PES 2008 tournament, following recent measures against players found cheating.

Konami and Play.com joined efforts in October to celebrate the launch of PES 2008 with a pre-order competition offer. Customers pre-ordering PES 2008 from Play.com were invited to partake in an online competition that will culminate in a play-off competition held at the Play.com Live show at Wembley, held over the weekend of March 15th-16th. The ultimate winner will receive £50,000 but it is with much regret that Konami and Play.com have been forced to disqualify a leading player in the competition.

Konami Digital Entertainment Ltd GmbH and Play.com will not tolerate cheating of any kind and reiterates its commitment that only the best players will be eligible to win the competition. The tournament is being overseen by Konami’s respect PES Rankings team, which is charged with dealing with disputes and have ultimate authority. Those caught cheating will be banned from the competition and will face a ban of up to one year from PES Rankings.

Follow this author on Twitter.