Albanian champions appeal to CAS over match-fixing ban

Albanian champions Skenderbeu have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after UEFA banned the club from any of its competitions in 2016-17 due to alleged match-fixing.

Skenderbeu won a sixth successive Superliga crown last season, and featured in the Europa League group stages after being eliminated from the Champions League play-offs.

Their domestic triumph means they took their place in the second-round qualifying draw for the Champions League, where they were paired with Ferencvaros.

However, Skenderbeu’s participation remains in doubt after UEFA’s decision earlier this month to ban them from competition.

“The Albanian football club Klubi Sportiv Skenderbeu has filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision issued by the UEFA Appeals Body on 1 June 2016 [the UEFA Decision] in which it was declared ineligible to participate in the UEFA Champions League competition 2016-2017 following an investigation into alleged match-fixing,” a CAS statement read.

“KS Skenderbeu seeks a ruling from the CAS overturning the UEFA decision and declaring its eligibility to compete in the UEFA Champions League competition 2016-2017.

“The parties have agreed to stay the execution of the UEFA Decision while the CAS arbitration is in progress and to put in place an expedited procedural timetable which will allow the CAS to render a decision, at the latest, on 6 July 2016. In the meantime, the CAS will not comment any further on this matter.”