Basle UCL reprieve after Sion ban

Published on December 30, 2011 by mod1 · No Comments

FC Basle remain in the Champions League and ends any hope of a reprieve for Manchester United is over after the Swiss Football Association (SFV) docked rebel club Sion 36 points for fielding ineligible players.

The SFV were threatened with expulsion from all competitions by world football’s governing body FIFA if they failed to punish Sion, who were kicked out of the Europa League by UEFA earlier this season after fielding players they had signed during a transfer embargo.

FIFA told the SFV there would be a blanket ban on Swiss football if action was not taken by January 13.

Sion have now been docked three points for each of the 12 Swiss league and cup matches any one of the six ineligible players appeared in. They had been third in the Swiss top flight with 31 points prior to the sanction.

The SFV said in a statement on their official website: “The central board of the SFV has withdrawn 36 points from Super League club FC Sion. The board has therefore met the requirements of FIFA from December 17, 2011.”

FIFA had demanded on December 17 that “all matches in which the relevant players participated shall be declared forfeit or three points shall be deducted respectively”.

Celtic were reinstated to the Europa League in August, and SIon have pursued a lengthy legal action in various Swiss courts against their ban, attended the Court of Abritration for Sport before FIFA became involved and made their threats.

Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com