July 26 – Osasuna have overturned their European ban, issued as a result of decade-old match-fixing scandal.
The Spanish club reached an agreement with UEFA which was signed off by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
UEFA originally removed the club from its third-tier competition three weeks ago because former club officials were implicated in fixing matches.
Under UEFA rules any team implicated in match-fixing since April 2007 can be excluded from the next European competition they qualify for. Osasuna have not qualified for a UEFA competition since the 2006-07 season and the club argued that its current management was not involved in match manipulation.
The club from Pamplona filed an appeal at CAS trying to save its first European qualification for 17 years after finishing seventh in the Spanish league last season.
In a statement Tuesday, Osasuna said a so-called “consent award” was reached with UEFA and ratified by CAS.
“In view of the new evidence provided by the club … UEFA has concluded that Osasuna was a victim of the events that occurred almost a decade ago and has valued the initiative carried out by the institution to clarify them,” Osasuna said.
For its part, UEFA said Osasuna had produced new evidence “which it was not in a position to file at an earlier stage.”
“UEFA reviewed this material and concluded that Osasuna has not been involved in match-fixing activities in the meaning of (competition rules),” Uefa said.
A verdict was needed before the Conference League playoff round starts August 24.
Separately though not nearly as seriously, UEFA have opened a different disciplinary procedure against the club for going to “ordinary courts” during the ongoing process, rather than keeping their appeal within the sports law and UEFA disciplinary procedures.
However, that won’t lead to any ban from Europe and Osasuna promised not to appeal the governing body’s decision.
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