The 53 members of the Uefa national associations have opted to back president Michel Platini’s pledge to ban FC Sion from this year’s Europe League despite the Swiss club having beaten Celtic in qualification.Sion were originally set to take part in the group phase, after comfortably beating their Scottish opponents 3-1 in the playoffs.
However, in light of evidence surrounding their fielding of five ineligible players, Laurent Roussey’s team were deemed to be in breach of important Uefa rules.
Despite attempting to appeal the decision in Swiss courts, Sion’s complaints have been dismissed as a threat to both the authority of the European governing body and that of world governing body FIFA.
A statement on Uefa’s official website declared: “Uefa's 53 member associations have declared unanimous support for the governing body's determination to uphold the statutes and regulations of football in the case of FC Sion.”
“The European national associations call upon both Fifa and the Swiss Football Association (SFV-ASF) to urgently take concrete steps to uphold the statutes and regulations of Fifa, as Uefa has done.
“The independent sports justice system is the best guarantor of equality and fairness for all participants in sports.
“The European national associations declare that any member of the football family who refuses to accept the rules of the competition should not participate in it.”
Sion, who were thrown out of the tournament September 2, were forced to watch as Celtic took their place in group I of the competition.
Intending to appeal what they view as being an injustice, a Sion spokesperson was previously quoted as saying, "Uefa believes that it rules the world."
Now having to contend with the financial implications of their controversial exclusion, any hopes of being reinstated were dealt a heavy blow by Uefa’s recent declaration.
