UEFA Ban Fenerbahce and Besiktas from European Tournaments
June 26, 2013
Fenerbahce have been banned from playing in next season’s UEFA Champions League over match-fixing charges.
They have been banned for three seasons in total, order with the third season deferred for a probationary period of five years.
Besiktas have also been suspended, but only for one season, meaning they will miss out on next year’s Europa League campaign.
Both bans relate to match-fixing in the Turkish league in 2011, a season where Fenerbahce won the league with a 4-3 win over Sivasspor in their last match – a game investigated by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).
The Besiktas game that came under UEFA scrutiny was their Turkish Cup final victory over Buyuksehir Belediyespor.
It is the second time Fenerbahce have been banned from European competitions, but the club said they will appeal the decision, with Besiktas entitled to do the same.