By Andrew Warshaw
October 15 – UEFA President Michel Platini is expected to appear in court next Wednesday (October 19) to explain why his organisation has refused to re-instate FC Sion in this season’s Europa League.
Platini has been summoned to appear with UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino who recently told reporters in London that they would not back down unless instructed to do so by its own disciplinary bodies .
Sion were found guilty of signing six new players in contravention of a transfer ban.
The club refutes the findings and have taken UEFA to a variety of civil courts in what has developed into one of the most serious cases of sport versus the law since the Bosman ruling.
Platini told a German magazine that he wa s happy to face prosecutors.
“The issue is simple,” he said.
“The club undermined a transfer ban imposed by FIFA for inciting a goalkeeper to break his contract and sign with it.
“Despite the ban, Sion signed on six players and let them play.
“It would be a catastrophe for the sport if everyone could go to court at any time.
“If a court decision finds that the six ineligible players should have been allowed to play, it would be a disaster, the end of football.”
Sion, who were replaced by Celtic in the Europa League,are taking on their own national association as well as UEFA in a saga that is becoming more complex by the day.
Last Friday (October 13), the Swiss Football Federation opened disciplinary proceedings against the six players signed – Stefan Glarner, Billy Ketkeophomphone, Mario Mutsch, Pascal Feindouno, Jose Goncalves and Gabri – for breaching the rules in taking a dispute to the civil courts.
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