By Duncan Mackay at the Ritz Carlton in Tokyo
December 17 – Switzerland face the prospect of being banned from world football unless they take action against FC Sion, who have conducted a high-profile legal campaign to oveturn a ban from the Europa League.
FIFA has warned that it will suspend the League on January 14 if by then it has not punished Sion for fielding ineligible players.
The suspension would affect all branches of the League, including the national team, and FC Basel, which earlier this month won a place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League with a shock victory over Premier League champions Manchester United.
On Friday (December 15) , following an often bitter feud between the Swiss club and European football’s governing body UEFA, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the original decision to expel Sion from the Europa League for fielding six ineligible players, who had all been signed when Sion were supposed to be serving a ban from signing new players.
The case has also been going through the Swiss civil courts for several months, a breach of football’s rules as, under the statutes of FIFA and UEFA, clubs are prohibited from using civil courts to rule on football disputes.
Sion responded to the CAS verdict by saying it would take the case to Switzerland’s highest court, further aggravating FIFA.
FIFA criticised “the attitude of the club repeatedly trying to circumvent this decision in a legally abusive manner,” in a statement issued after a meeting of its ruling Executive Committee here today.
Sion, however, have claimed that the CAS “does not offer any guarantee of independence…and violates several standards of national and international law”.
FIFA and UEFA want the Switzerland League to deduct the points Sion won in games where they have used the ineligible players.
The situation has been complicated further by the fact that in August the Swiss League gave permission for Sion to use the disputed players in what it has subsequently called “a regrettable mistake”.
Sion are currently third in the League, seven points behind leaders Basel.
The Swiss League met today for an emergency meeting to discuss the situation, with Basel having the most to lose if they are unable to meet Bayern Munich in the first stage of the knockout phase of the Champions League.
“I am confident that we will play Bayern Munich but I take [the threat] very seriously,” Basel vice-president Bernhard Heusler told The Associated Press.
Another high-profile casualty could be Switzerland’s proposed friendly against Argentina in Bern on February 29.
“We are disappointed,” Swiss Football Association President Peter Gillieron said after the emergency meeting.
“But, in any case, we will do everything necessary to resolve the situation.”
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