Europa League bans for two Turkish teams approved

LAUSANNE

Sivasspor and Eskişehirspor were each handed a one-year ban by European football’s governing body due to their involvement in the 2011 Turkish match-fixing scandal. DHA Photo

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed Sivasspor and Eskişehirspor’s appeals against the bans handed to them last month, meaning that the two Turkish teams will be barred from European competition in the coming season.

Sivasspor and Eskişehirspor were each handed a one-year ban by European football’s governing body due to their involvement in the 2011 Turkish match-fixing scandal.

Both qualified for the Europa League last season, with Sivasspor finishing the Turkish Süper Lig in fifth spot and Eskişehirspor as runner-up in the Ziraat Turkish Cup.

With sixth place Kasımpaşa not having a proper license to play in the cup, seventh place Kardemir Karabükspor and eighth place Bursaspor will now replace the two excluded teams in Europe this year.

Bursaspor will play in the Europa League second qualifying round first leg on July 17facing the winner of the first qualifying round match between Macedonia’s Turnovo and Georgia’s Chikhura Sachkhere.