The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has handed reprieve
to Super Eagles’ captain, Joseph Yobo and his teammates at Fenerbache by
suspending the club two-year Uefa ban.
The Turkish club had been given a two-year suspension from
European competition but have been handed a temporary reprieve
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has suspended
Fenerbahce's two-year Uefa ban, according to the Turkish club's president.
Despite finishing as runners-up in the Super Lig in 2012-13,
the Istanbul club were facing the possibility of missing the forthcoming
Champions League campaign after the European governing body banned them for 24
months for their part in the Turkish match-fixing and corruption scandal.
However, president Aziz Yildirim announced on Thursday that
Fenerbahce have been given a temporary reprieve by CAS which will allow them to
take their place in the 2013-14 Champions League preliminary rounds.
"The Fenerbahce football team will participate in the
Champions League this season," Yildirim told the club's official TV
channel. "We'll move on, starting with Friday's draw. Enjoy this. I thank
our lawyers here and vow that we'll fight until the end. The world and Turkey
will see that Fenerbahce are right."
The decision means that the club, who reached the
semi-finals of last season's Europa League, will be included in Friday's
Champions League third qualifying round draw, although the final decision on
their case could yet result in them being prohibited from participation in the
group stage of the competition.
The Uefa ban had been met with a furious reaction in Turkey,
with Fenerbahce's players understood to be preparing to lobby the European body
over the severity of the penalty in light of them having already been imposed a
previous competition ban in 2011-12 relating to the same scandal.
Information from goal.com was used in this report.
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