Court Arbitration of Sport (CAS) approves Turkish outfit Fenerbahçe’s two-year UEFA competations ban by match fixing case.
The decision means Fenerbahce, which was to play in the Europa League after losing on aggregate last night to Arsenal in the playoff round, will be prevented from playing on the European stage this season and next season.
In June, Fenerbahce, along with Istanbul rival Besiktas, was handed a suspension from European competitions by UEFA for its involvement in the manipulation of Turkish football matches in the 2010-11 season.
CAS issued a stay of execution on the punishment pending the final ruling, making it possible for Fenerbahce to play in the UEFA Champions League qualification round. It saw off Red Bull Salzburg in the third qualifying round before losing to Arsenal 5-0 on aggregate.
Fenerbahce was charged after some of its board members attempted to manipulate some games from the 2010-2011 Super League, while Besiktas was charged with its officials’ attempting to fix the Turkish Cup final.
Two of the clubs’ officials were handed prison sentences by an Istanbul special high court in the Turkish judicial process, but the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) decided not to punish the teams, saying that even though there were efforts to manipulate some games, they had not been reflected on the pitch. UEFA then opened its own investigation.
Besiktas, which is playing against Norway’s Tromso in the playoff round for the UEFA Europa League, will also face a final CAS decision, likely on Aug. 30.
What said CAS explanation of his decision
UEFA excluded Fenerbahce SK of the UEFA club competitions for two seasons because of match-fixing. The Turkish club appealed such decision to the CAS and in agreement with the parties the CAS established an expedited procedural timetable and granted a stay of the UEFA decision to the Turkish club, allowing it to take part in the qualification phase of the current edition of the Champions League until the outcome of the CAS appeal was known. A two-day hearing was held at the CAS headquarters on 21 and 22 August 2013.
Pursuant to the UEFA decision, which is now confirmed by the CAS, Fenerbahce SK is excluded from two editions of the UEFA club competitions.
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