Football: FIFA draw line under FC Sion row

FIFA had threatened to suspend SVF if it failed by January 13 to impose appropriate sanctions on member club FC Sion

GENEVA: Manchester United's distant hopes of being thrown a Champions League lifeline were shattered with the news that Fifa had decided not to take disciplinary action against the Swiss Football Federation (SVF). The sport's world governing body had threatened to suspend the SVF if it failed by January 13 to impose appropriate sanctions on member club FC Sion for breaking rules on player transfers. A Fifa statment said that the SVF had met the requirements on December 30 when they docked 36 league points from the team and that no further action against the Swiss body was necessary. Had Fifa suspended Swiss clubs, United could have been reinstated to replace FC Basel in the Champions League last-16.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2012.