Swiss FA escape FIFA sanction

The Swiss Football Association (SFV) look to have avoided a ban from all sporting activity after docking rebel club Sion 36 points for fielding ineligible players.

The SFV were threatened with expulsion from all competitions by world football's governing body FIFA if they failed to punish Sion, who were kicked out of the Europa League by UEFA earlier this season after fielding players they had signed during a transfer embargo.

FIFA told the SFV there would be a blanket ban on Swiss football if action was not taken by 13 January.

Sion have now been docked three points for each of the 12 Swiss league and cup matches any one of the six ineligible players appeared in. They had been third in the Swiss top flight with 31 points prior to the sanction.

The SFV said in a statement on their official website www.football.ch: "The central board of the SFV has withdrawn 36 points from Super League club FC Sion. The board has therefore met the requirements of FIFA from December 17, 2011."

FIFA had demanded on December 17 that "all matches in which the relevant players participated shall be declared forfeit or three points shall be deducted respectively".

The announcement - subject to ratification from FIFA - means FC Basle will remain in the Champions League and ends any hope of a reprieve for Manchester United, who were knocked out by the Swiss side.

As things stand, that would affect Basle, who knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League and are due to face Bayern Munich in February.

But, in a statement released on their official website, www.fc-sion.ch, today, the Swiss club said: "FC Sion has now filed a criminal complaint against executive members of the committee of FIFA after the threat to exclude the Helvetic Federation and clubs affiliated to it.

"The complaint was sent to the prosecutor in Zurich. It is directed against anyone who participated or contributed to the decision of the FIFA."

The Swiss club were put under a transfer embargo over the signing of Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, but proceeded to sign six players in the summer.

Sion then fielded five of the six players during the Europa League play-off tie against Celtic earlier this year and were kicked out of the competition as a result, with UEFA's decision to expel them upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

FIFA could not be contacted this evening.