Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Porto cleared to take part in Champions League
Source: Agencies |
August 7, 2009, Friday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
PORTUGUESE champions Porto have been cleared to participate in this season's Champions League after European governing body UEFA decided it could not rule on alleged events in the 2003/04 domestic season.
"FC Porto have been admitted to the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League, following a ruling by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body," UEFA said in a statement.
"The control and disciplinary body noted that it was... not authorised to rule on the admission or exclusion of Porto and has closed its investigation and struck it off the list of cases."
UEFA said the case dated back to the 2003/04 Portuguese championship involving alleged events in a case known as the Apito Dourado (Golden Whistle).
Porto were stripped of six domestic league points by Portuguese authorities for allegedly bribing referees during the 2003/04 season in a scandal which only came to light in the 2007/08 season.
In July last year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected an appeal by Portuguese clubs Benfica and Vitoria Guimaraes to have Porto banned from the 2008/09 Champions League.
UEFA said: "A club that wishes to take part in the UEFA Champions League must not have been directly and/or indirectly involved in any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level and must confirm this to the UEFA administration in writing."
However, it said the ruling only applied to events after April 27, 2007 when the latest UEFA statutes took effect.
As Portuguese title holders, Porto will enter the Champions League at the group stage.
"FC Porto have been admitted to the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League, following a ruling by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body," UEFA said in a statement.
"The control and disciplinary body noted that it was... not authorised to rule on the admission or exclusion of Porto and has closed its investigation and struck it off the list of cases."
UEFA said the case dated back to the 2003/04 Portuguese championship involving alleged events in a case known as the Apito Dourado (Golden Whistle).
Porto were stripped of six domestic league points by Portuguese authorities for allegedly bribing referees during the 2003/04 season in a scandal which only came to light in the 2007/08 season.
In July last year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected an appeal by Portuguese clubs Benfica and Vitoria Guimaraes to have Porto banned from the 2008/09 Champions League.
UEFA said: "A club that wishes to take part in the UEFA Champions League must not have been directly and/or indirectly involved in any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level and must confirm this to the UEFA administration in writing."
However, it said the ruling only applied to events after April 27, 2007 when the latest UEFA statutes took effect.
As Portuguese title holders, Porto will enter the Champions League at the group stage.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
