Could FC Sion land UEFA & its competitions in trouble?
When Belgian footballer Mark Bosman won his case in the mid-1990s it changed the landscape of players contracts within Europe forever, then European Union legislations of free movement of employees was more important then club ownership of their players.
Could something similar happen with the case of Swiss club FC Sion against UEFA on their transfer embargo ruling?
In the final round qualifiers for this seasons UEFA Europa League FC Sion beat Scottish giants FC Celtic Glasgow 3-1 on aggregate to qualify for the group stage. But due to the transfer embargo imposed on Sion three years ago the club fielded players who were ineligible. So the European football governing body expelled Sion and allowed Celtic to stay in the competition.
Sion had earlier filed a case in a Swiss civil court and the court awarded the case in Sion's favour with the Swiss Football Association thereafter allowing Sion to field the concerned players in the local Swiss league. Why? The Swiss FA didn't want to take on its local courts.
As expected Sion has lodged an appeal against their expulsion from the Europa League with UEFA's Appeals Committee to meet next Tuesday, two days before the first round of matches in the Europa League. And even if Sion lose their appeal they could turn to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport if UEFA stand by their original decision.
And if by any chance CAS reinstate Sion into the competition after the group stage has started, then it could mean chaos for UEFA and its competition; while also a route for other clubs to take at this of transfer embargo's using the case as a template.
As one understands a lot is at stake for UEFA and European football.
Could something similar happen with the case of Swiss club FC Sion against UEFA on their transfer embargo ruling?
In the final round qualifiers for this seasons UEFA Europa League FC Sion beat Scottish giants FC Celtic Glasgow 3-1 on aggregate to qualify for the group stage. But due to the transfer embargo imposed on Sion three years ago the club fielded players who were ineligible. So the European football governing body expelled Sion and allowed Celtic to stay in the competition.
Sion had earlier filed a case in a Swiss civil court and the court awarded the case in Sion's favour with the Swiss Football Association thereafter allowing Sion to field the concerned players in the local Swiss league. Why? The Swiss FA didn't want to take on its local courts.
As expected Sion has lodged an appeal against their expulsion from the Europa League with UEFA's Appeals Committee to meet next Tuesday, two days before the first round of matches in the Europa League. And even if Sion lose their appeal they could turn to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport if UEFA stand by their original decision.
And if by any chance CAS reinstate Sion into the competition after the group stage has started, then it could mean chaos for UEFA and its competition; while also a route for other clubs to take at this of transfer embargo's using the case as a template.
As one understands a lot is at stake for UEFA and European football.
Category Article Celtic Glasgow, FC Sion, uefa, UEFA Europa League
