Sion insist they could still get Euro reprieve

FC SION claimed again last night that they will soon be reinstated to the Europa League in Celtic’s place, after the club were told they will discover within the next week whether a Swiss judge will support them in their legal battle against Uefa through the country’s civil courts.

The Swiss club have challenged Uefa’s authority in expelling them from the competition for fielding ineligible players in breach of a transfer ban after losing a series of cases at sports’ recognised judicial bodies. The judge’s delay in reaching a verdict means that tomorrow’s Europa League match between Celtic and Udinese will go ahead as scheduled.

Sion said their lawyers and Uefa presented full arguments for nearly four hours in the Vaud cantonal (state) civil court that previously awarded the club an interim ruling to be reinstated.

Uefa ignored that ruling when it dismissed Sion’s appeal against expulsion two weeks ago and gave Celtic approval to face Atletico Madrid in their opening group match.

During courtroom arguments yesterday, Uefa lawyers said it was technically possible to reinstate Sion between the group matches finishing in December and the last-32 knockout stage beginning in February. “Sion saw in that an attempt to buy time, and reaffirmed its wish to be reinstated immediately,” the club said in a statement.

Sion have pledged to also challenge Uefa at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and will be at CAS today for another appeal hearing. It has challenged the Swiss league for refusing to register the six players at the centre of the dispute, which they signed during pre-season. Sion succeeded in getting a civil court’s interim judgment to approve the players, which has been obeyed by the league pending the CAS verdict.