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FenerbahÃ§e, BeÅŸiktaÅŸ say will compete in Europe as CAS suspends ban

19 July 2013 04:55 (UTC +04:00)

Ä°stanbul powerhouses Fenerbahçe and BeÅŸiktaÅŸ said on Thursday that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had suspended the execution of UEFA's decision banning the clubs from European competitions over their involvement in a domestic match-fixing scandal.

Fenerbahçe Chairman Aziz YÄ±ldÄ±rÄ±m told the club's official television channel that the club will participate in the Champions League next season, sending the club's shares up 10.55 percent. YÄ±ldÄ±rÄ±m said Fenerbahçe will take part in the Champions League draws on Friday.

The Turkish club said in a statement to the Ä°stanbul stock exchange on Thursday that it was cleared to take part in the third qualifying round draw. "The execution of the two-year ban from UEFA competitions given to our club by the UEFA [appeal] committee has been suspended by CAS," Fenerbahçe said.

Following YÄ±ldÄ±rÄ±m's statements, BeÅŸiktaÅŸ manager Melih Sami Esen said BeÅŸiktaÅŸ will participate in the upcoming UEFA Europa League draws.

CAS said on Wednesday it registered Fenerbahçe's appeal against UEFA, and was considering an urgent interim request to freeze sanctions. No date has been set for the full appeal hearing. "This struggle will continue until the end and both the whole of Turkey and the world will see that Fenerbahçe is in the right," YÄ±ldÄ±rÄ±m told the club's television station.

In a statement to the Associated Press, UEFA said it would confirm the list of entered clubs on Friday, just ahead of the draw. Bursaspor is waiting to take any vacant Turkish entry. UEFA expelled Fenerbahçe from its competitions last month after judging that club officials fixed matches to win the 2011 Turkish league title. UEFA rules bar clubs if they are connected to fixing matches played since April 2007.

Fenerbahçe finished runner-up in the Turkish Super League last season, and needs to win through two Champions League qualifying rounds to join league winner Galatasaray in the group stage. Still, Fenerbahçe could be removed from Europe's signature club competition despite Thursday's legal victory, and even if it proceeds to play. First-leg matches are scheduled for July 30-31.

In August 2011, weeks after the widespread match-fixing scandal flared, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) -- reportedly under pressure from UEFA -- withdrew Fenerbahçe on the eve of the group-stage draw in Monaco. Then, runner-up Trabzonspor was restored by UEFA into the lucrative group stage even though it had already been eliminated in the qualifying rounds.

Fenerbahçe officials, including YÄ±ldÄ±rÄ±m, deny wrongdoing and are appealing their criminal convictions in national courts.