Story highlights
Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv are disqualified from UEFA competitions for a season
European soccer's governing body finds Metalist guilty on match-fixing charges
Metalist had been set for European Champions League playoff with Schalke
Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki could be reinstated to Europe's top club competition
Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv have been thrown out of UEFA competitions for a year after European soccer’s governing body found them guilty on match-fixing charges.
Metalist, who finished runners up in the Ukrainian Premier League, had been drawn to play German side Schalke in the final qualifying stage of the European Champions League.
But after hearing their case on Tuesday, UEFA’s Appeals Body has decided to disqualify them from all European competitions for the 2013/14 seasons.
A statement on UEFA’s website said the club were in breach of several regulations, one of which precludes “any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level.”
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“FC Metalist Kharkiv have been disqualified from UEFA competitions for the 2013/14 season following the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings against the Ukrainian club,” the statement read.
“The club has the opportunity to appeal the decision of the UEFA Appeals Body to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“In the meantime, the UEFA Emergency Panel – which is composed of five members of the UEFA Executive Committee – will hold a meeting later today to consider the consequences of the decision on the competition.”
Earlier this month the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a decision by the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) to ban Yevhen Krasnikov – Metalist’s sports director – from the game for five years in relation to allegations he helped to fix a Ukrainian league game against Karpaty Lviv in 2008.
CAS also backed the FFU’s decision to strip Metalist of their third-placed finish in 2008 and the decision to fine the club and FC Karpaty $25,000 each over a disputed fixture played in April 2008.
One of Metalist’s players, Serhiy Lashchenkov, was banned for five years and another five players in their squad were handed three-year bans.
Metalist beat PAOK Thessaloniki in the third qualifying round of the Champions League last week, but the Greek side may now be reinstated.