Fenerbahce drop case over European ban
Reuters - Thursday 26 April 2012, 09:05
Fenerbahce have dropped a court
case against UEFA and the Turkish Football Federation over their
exclusion from the Champions League due to a match-fixing
investigation, the club said on Thursday.
Fenerbahce, the 2011 league champions, said in a statement
to the Istanbul Stock Exchange they were dropping the case at
the Court of Arbitration for Sport but gave no further details.
Fenerbahce shares rose more than 5 percent after
the announcement.
Fenerbahce were barred from the Champions League because of
their alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal and the
club's chairman is among 93 defendants, including leading football officials and players, being tried in a case that has cast a
shadow over Turkey's multi-billion dollar league.
The team could be stripped of their domestic title, thrown
out of Turkey's top league and forced to play in a lower
division, penalties that could cost the club millions.
Chairman Aziz Yildirim, who is still in custody, denies the
charges and says the case was specifically designed to undermine
the 18-times domestic champions.