Sion President Christian Constantin has issued a defiant challenge to UEFA ahead of tonight’s Europa League qualifier with Celtic.
The Swiss side go into the match with a question mark over the eligibility of five players who were signed despite the club being banned from transfers by FIFA.
Sion got that ruling overturned in a Swiss court but FIFA have warned the ASF (Swiss Federation) that their national team face a ban from Euro 2012 if they don’t enforce the FIFA ban with Swiss clubs also being kicked out of European competition.
Constantin has had a colourful career as Sion president, twice taking over as manager, and is relishing the confrontation with the footballing authorities.
Sion’s summer signings were ruled ineligible for the first four games of the Swiss season with Constantin not expecting any further sanctions.
“The players have already served their sentence,” he replied to the question of UEFA action. “Not to mention that UEFA gave all powers to the ASF to describe the players involved, nothing more should happen.”
Of the 19 players that flew into Glasgow yesterday five are on the FIFA banned list.
UEFA have appeared slow to get involved in the dispute but Sion are aware that even if they knock Celtic out they could still be expelled from the competition.
Coach Laurent Roussey said: “If we win the match I’ll have did my job, the rest is not for me I leave that to the directors.”
Looking around an empty Celtic Park last night the French coach is hoping that his players are inspired by the atmosphere of a stadium five times bigger than their own home ground.
Former St Etienne Roussey added: “With the green and white I’m in my element. The pitch is perfect, the stadium is atmospheric and I don;t want to hear any of my players say that they were put off by the crowd.
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