FC Sion's President Christian Constantin (R) speaks with the club lawyer Alexandre Zen-Ruffinen before their Swiss Super League soccer match against FC Lausanne-Sport in Sion October 2, 2011. (Photo: Reuters)
FIFA said on Friday it had won a case against FC Sion after a Swiss cantonal court upheld a decision by football's world ruling body to impose a transfer ban on six of the club's players.
FIFA's ruling led to Sion's exclusion from the Europa League on 2 September after the Swiss club were found guilty of fielding ineligible players. Scottish club Celtic were handed their place in the group stages despite losing the play-offs 3-1 on aggregate.
The Swiss side took their case to several regional courts and a court in Martigny ruled in their favour, thus allowing the six banned players to return.
FIFA appealed that decision in the Valais cantonal court, which "overturned the decision" of the local courts, according to FIFA. The court instead "upheld the appeal submitted by FIFA and the Swiss Football League."
"The cantonal court has thus indirectly taken the same view as FIFA and the SFL and its ruling has indirectly confirmed the legality of the transfer ban FIFA imposed on FC Sion,” said FIFA in a statement.
Sion were sanctioned by FIFA for inducing Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary to break his contract with Cairo giants Ahly in February 2008, a few weeks after he helped Egypt win the African Cup of Nations in Ghana.
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