Story highlights
A two-year European ban given to Fenerbahce upheld by CAS
Turkish club banned for fixing matches during title-winning 2010-11 season
Ukrainian team Metalist Kharkiv also given a one-year European ban
Turkish football club Fenerbahce have been excluded from European competitions for two years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a ban issued by UEFA.
Fenerbahce were handed the sanction by European football’s governing body for fixing matches to help the team win the 2011 Turkish Super Lig title.
The Istanbul team had been due to enter the second-tier Europa League after losing to English team Arsenal in a two-legged Champions League playoff.
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Fenerbahce were not immediately available for comment.
The CAS also upheld a one-year ban meted out to Ukrainian team Metalist Kharkiv, also for match-fixing.
Metalist were replaced by PAOK Thessaloniki in the Champions League qualification competition following the original verdict earlier this month. PAOK were subsequently eliminated by German club Schalke.
UEFA will meet on Thursday to discuss who will take Fenerbahce’s place in the Europa League.
“UEFA welcomes today’s decisions of the CAS rejecting the appeals made by Fenerbahce SK and FC Metalist Kharkiv against the UEFA Appeals Body decisions of 15 July 2013 and 14 August 2013 respectively,” read a UEFA statement.
“The UEFA Emergency Panel will meet on Thursday afternoon to decide on the consequences the confirmed exclusion of Fenerbahce SK from the 2013/14 UEFA club competitions will have on the Europa League.”