Metalist disqualified over match-fixing case

UEFA announced the sanction which could see Metalist miss the Champions League despite winning their way through to the play-off stages.

The UEFA appeals body announced its decision after a hearing in Nyon, Switzerland where the club submitted statements and the governing body's disciplinary inspector submitted statements and documents.

Metalist's place in the play-off stage against Schalke in a match due to be played next Wednesday could go instead to Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki, who they beat in the third qualifying round.

But the Ukrainian club could be reinstated to the competition on a temporary basis if they appeal UEFA's decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which has the option of suspending sanctions.

UEFA charged Metalist last week after CAS upheld a five-year ban imposed on the club's sporting director Yevhen Krasnikov by the Ukrainian Football Federation for his alleged involvement in the fixing of a Ukrainian league match with Karpaty Lwiw in 2008.

Turkish club Fenerbahce, banned from European football for two years over domestic match-fixing, have already been re-admitted to the contest while they await the result of an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

If Metalist follow a similar path, European football's governing body UEFA could be left with a logistical nightmare to sort out.

Together, the two cases have created a bewildering number of possible scenarios that UEFA would have to deal with.

Fenerbahce have already beaten Austrian side Salzburg and face Arsenal over two legs in the final play-off round later this month, with the winners going into the group stage.

CAS has said it will make a final ruling on Fenerbahce's case "by August 28", the day after the second leg.

That opens the possibility that Fenerbahce could qualify for the group stage, having eliminated both Arsenal and Salzburg, only to be expelled.

UEFA could simply award Fenerbahce's place to Arsenal, however that is almost certain to infuriate the Austrian side and their owners Red Bull, who have been trying in vain to reach Europe's elite competition since taking over the club in 2005.

On the other hand, there are no dates available in the international calendar to squeeze in a two-leg play-off between Salzburg and Arsenal, which would be the other option.

Metalist were due to face Schalke 04 in their play-off round and the logical step following their expulsion is that PAOK, the Greek side they knocked out in the previous round, would take their place, although UEFA could also simply award Schalke a bye to the group stage.

However, should the Ukrainian team appeal to CAS and be re-admitted pending the final decision, as Fenerbahce were, they could still face Schalke 04 over two legs, starting on August 21.

UEFA's ultimate nightmare would be that Metalist beat Schalke, qualify for the group stage and then lose their case at CAS. There is even a possibility CAS would not make its final decision until after some group-stage matches had been played.

Two years ago, UEFA was forced to draw up a number of contingency plans for reorganising the Europa League after Swiss club Sion launched a legal challenge over their expulsion from the competition over ineligible players.

These included increasing one of the groups from four to five teams to accommodate Sion and playing the additional fixtures during the winter break.

In the event, Sion lost their case and UEFA were spared a huge headache.