UEFA Approves Turkish Club Beşiktaş Ban, Reduces Fenerbahçe Sentence

UEFA has approved a one-year ban from continental competition on Turkish top-flight football club Beşiktaş "while reducing Fenerbahçe's suspension from 2+1 years to two years on rigging accusations," according to the HURRIYET DAILY NEWS. Beşiktaş will not be permitted to compete on a continental level during the '13-14 season, while Fenerbahçe "will be prevented from playing during the next two seasons," '13-14 and '14-15. Both teams were handed suspensions from European competitions "for their alleged involvement in the manipulation of Turkish football matches" (HURRIYET DAILY NEWS, 7/15). REUTERS reported both bans "were linked to a domestic match-fixing scandal which rocked Turkish football" in '11. The two clubs asked UEFA in June to re-examine their punishments and in both cases UEFA "decided to uphold the sanctions." The clubs "have the right to appeal against the decisions at Court of Arbitration for Sport" (REUTERS, 7/15).