FIFA threat to kick Swiss out of football

The Swiss FA have bowed to pressure from FIFA that threatened to kick Sion and two other clubs out of Europe this week over a registration row involving six Sion signings. The Swiss national side were also threatened with expulsion from the European Championships over their row with Sion.

A letter from FIFA to the Swiss Football Association on August 10 spelt out the consequences of the continuing dispute between the two parties with Sion given clearance to play their six summer signings.

Among the sanctions threatened was the expulsion of the Swiss national team from the Euro 2012 qualifiers as well as forcing Basel, Zurich and Sion out of European competition.

Sion and the Swiss authorities had become embroiled in civil action which saw club president Christian Constantin threaten a £16m legal action if the row cost his side a place in next season’s Champions League.

FIFA and UEFA both insist that football matters are dealt with internally rather than through the civil courts..

According to Swiss paper Le Matin, who viewed a copy of the letter from Fifa, the Swiss FA were warned that if the legal action continued the association faced a FIFA suspension which would have ruled all clubs out of European competitions and forced the cancellation of the Euro qualifier with Bulgaria on September 6.

Only Pascal Fiendouno played in the draw against Luzern on Saturday but the row with the authorities has seriously disrupted Sion’s plans for the new season.

UEFA will decide this week if the six players will be able to face Celtic on Thursday despite not being registered in time for last week’s signing deadline.

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