The Court of Arbitration for Sports has decided to reject the Istanbul giants' appeal against their two-year suspension
Fenerbahce have been banned from European competitions from two years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) opted to uphold the club's punishment for their involvement in match fixing in Turkey.
The Turkish giants had appealed Uefa's initial two-year ban with CAS and were consequently allowed to take part in the qualification phase of the Champions League, where they were beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Arsenal, thus qualifying for the group stages of the Europa League.
However, CAS has now made the decision to turn down Fenerbahce's appeal, meaning they will be banned from playing European football for 2013-14 and 2014-15.
"CAS has dismissed the appeal filed by Fenerbahce against the decision taken by Uefa to exclude them from European club competitions," an official CAS statement reads.
"Uefa excluded Fenerbahce of the Uefa club competitions for two seasons because of match-fixing. The Turkish club appealed such decision to the CAS and in agreement with the parties the CAS established an expedited procedural timetable and granted a stay of the Uefa decision to the Turkish club, allowing it to take part in the qualification phase of the current edition of the Champions League until the outcome of the CAS appeal was known. A two-day hearing was held at the CAS headquarters on 21 and 22 August 2013.
"Pursuant to the Uefa decision, which is now confirmed by the CAS, Fenerbahce are excluded from two editions of the Uefa club competitions."
Meanwhile, CAS has also rejected Metalist Kharkiv's appeal against their one-year ban from European football. The Ukrainian side were banned due to their role in a match-fixing scandal, too, and had already been disqualified from the Champions League play-offs as a result, with PAOK taking their place.
"CAS has dismissed the appeal filed by Metalist Kharkiv against the decision taken by Uefa to exclude them from European club competitions
"Pursuant to the Uefa decision, which is now confirmed by the CAS, Metalist Kharkiv are excluded from the Uefa club competitions 2013-14."
Uefa has welcome CAS' decisions to reject Fenerbahce and Metalist's appeals and will meet later on Thursday what will happen to the Turkish giants' Europa League place.
"Uefa welcomes today's decisions of CAS rejecting the appeals made by Fenerbahçe and Metalist Kharkiv against the Uefa Appeals Body decisions of 15 July 2013 and 14 August 2013 respectively.
"The Uefa Emergency Panel will meet on Thursday afternoon to decide on the consequences the confirmed exclusion of Fenerbahce from the 2013-14 Uefa club competitions will have on the Europa League."
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