Sion suspended from European Club Association

Feb 16, 2012, 16:12 GMT

Berlin - Sion were on Thursday suspended from the European Club Association (ECA) with immediate effect because the Swiss club has not accepted the Court of Arbitration for Sport as the only recognized body to decide sports disputes.

Sion were docked 36 points in the Swiss league and kicked out of the Europa League for fielding players they hired in summer in violation of a transfer ban imposed by the ruling body FIFA.

The Swiss club has taken its case to civil courts in Switzerland, including an appeal against a CAS ruling that their Europa League disqualification was just.

The ECA, which represents more than 200 clubs in Europe, said that Sion's action violated ECA rules and suspended the club 'until further notice.

'The ECA Executive Board unanimously decided to suspend, with immediate effect, FC Sion as a member of the European Club Association. This is due to a breach of the ECA Statutes, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on which ECA was established and ECA's undertakings under that MoU,' the ECA said.

'According to the above rules, ECA shall and must ensure that all its clubs are committed to adhere to the FIFA and UEFA Statutes and regulations and recognise the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as the sole competent body to decide on sports related disputes between ECA, its members and UEFA or FIFA.'