Boavista launch appeal over relegation

Portuguese side Boavista on Monday launched an appeal against their relegation from the first division over an alleged match-fixing incident in 2003/2004 season.

“We were notified today by the tribunal that our appeal has been accepted (for examination),” a club spokesman told the Lusa news agency.

The Portuguese football federation and Pacos Ferreira, the team who stood to win the demoted side’s slot, now have 10 days to contest the decision.

In May Boavista were relegated to the second tier after being implicated in a corruption scandal, where it was alleged the club’s representatives had pressured referees into influencing matches.

First division champions Porto were thrown out of the Champions League for their part in the affair, which first came to light in April 2004.

A number of referees have also been suspended for periods between two-and-a-half and six years for either accepting bribes – reportedly in the form of money or prostitutes.

Last month Portuguese judicial authorities dropped the case against Porto president Jorge Pinto da Costa, who had also been embroiled in the scandal.