Swiss court rules for UEFA in Sion case
Reuters - Friday 10 February 2012, 21:46
Sion suffered another legal
setback on Friday in their bid to be reinstated to the Europa
League after a Swiss court that originally ruled in their favour
dismissed the club's latest claim.
The Swiss top-flight team
lodged a request for reinstatement
to the Europa League with a civil court in Vaud, where European
football's ruling body UEFA has its headquarters, on January 17.
This has been dismissed however on the grounds the Court of
Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sport's highest tribunal, had
already ruled on the matter.
"In its decision the court considered the dispute in
question had already been decided... by the Court of
Arbitration for Sport with its award of 15 December 2011," UEFA
said in a statement on its website.
"Sion's claim that UEFA had committed a violation of Swiss
competition law was ruled inadmissible, as was the club's claim
regarding the alleged non-independence of CAS."
The Swiss team were previously expelled by UEFA from the
Europa League for fielding ineligible players in a qualifying
match against Celtic.
Sion obtained an injunction from the Vaud court in September
ordering UEFA to reinstate them before the governing body's
decision to throw them out of the competition was upheld by CAS
in December.
World football's ruling body FIFA had threatened to suspend
Switzerland from international football unless Sion were
punished for taking their case to the civil courts and soon
after the club were deducted 36 points in the Swiss Super
League.