ian1964 10,428 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 SEETHING Sion owner Christian Constantin has vowed to take his side to Madrid for the opening game of the Europa League groups - and insists they WILL play Atletico. Celtic boss Neil Lennon saw his side take the Swiss club's place in Group I on Friday after UEFA kicked Sion out for breaching a transfer embargo. However, Constantin has branded their decision worthy of a Banana Republic. And he is adamant Sion will take on UEFA's bigwigs and beat them through the courts. Constantin fumed: "The dice were loaded. It is a travesty of justice - worthy of a Banana Republic. But it only makes me want to fight harder. It is fighting against Goliath but in the end weââ?¬â?¢ll see where David is. ââ?¬Å?The verdict doesnââ?¬â?¢t surprise me at all. When less than an hour is enough to make such a decision, this means that judges are there to formalize a sanction decided in advance. ââ?¬Å?In addition, all necessary steps for an appeal to UEFA lead us beyond September 15, the date of the first group game. So we will be there in Madrid and we will play. I will take that bet.ââ?¬Â The fired-up Swiss supremo also claimed there was evidence of a carve-up, insisting the news of Celticââ?¬â?¢s reinstatement was announced on the clubââ?¬â?¢s official website nearly an hour and a half before UEFA delivered their formal verdict. He sighed: ââ?¬Å?It surprises you that it was all planned? I could see this verdict coming like I was reading a road map.ââ?¬Â Constantin takes heart from Portoââ?¬â?¢s successful appeal in 2008 after they were initially booted out of the Champions League due to a bribery investigation. He said: ââ?¬Å?We will appeal for sure - the same way Porto did when they won reinstatement. ââ?¬Å?But we will be going on the offensive on other fronts too.ââ?¬Â http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/09/04/sion-chief-christian-constantin-we-will-play-atletico-madrid-on-september-15-86908-23395257/ 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 0 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 If Sion broke the rules, this was the only outcome. Not that Celtic deserve it on any level of course. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza_8 233 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Bet he doesn't! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dutchy Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Maybe, if we're lucky, the septic team will meet up with the Sion team outside the Madrid ground and they'll get involved in a fist fight. Broken noses all around for the OF game on the 18th. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,428 Posted September 6, 2011 Author Share Posted September 6, 2011 SION are launching a three-pronged attack to win reinstatement to the Europa League. Controversial chairman Christian Constantin will send a deputation to Madrid this weekend to finalise preparations for the opening Group Stage match against Atletico, scheduled for a week on Thursday. But, before then, the club will submit their appeal to Uefa against the decision taken last week to throw Sion out of the competition for fielding ineligible players in both their play-off round ties against Celtic. They have until Thursday to lodge this appeal. At the same time, Sion – who have engaged a team of eight lawyers – are heading back to the Swiss Civil court in the Valais region where they are situated and the Vaud region where Uefa have their headquarters to fight their case. In yet another tactic, the six players recruited during the signing embargo placed on Sion by Fifa will also go to court to contest what they claim is an unlawful intervention in their right to work. All of which continues to put Celtic’s opening Group I game against Madrid in nine days in doubt, though the Parkhead club have themselves sent a deputation to Spain to press on with arrangements for the tie. Sion simply refuse to back down, and their chairman is taking his fight all the way to the very top of the game with Sepp Blatter – ironically, born in Sion – and Michel Platini now directly in his sights. Constantin has previously attacked the general secretary of Uefa, Gianni Infantino, and his counterpart at Fifa, Jerome Valcke, for their part in the process which led to their dismissal from the Europa League. And he lobbed a fresh volley of accusations at the pair when he claimed: “They wrote a joint letter to the Swiss FA that threatened sanctions against other clubs and the Swiss national team if the transfer ban on Sion was not enforced. “If it turns out Platini and Blatter gave their secretaries encouragement to send that letter, I will proceed against them. “This is nothing more than coercion.” Constantin is well known in Switzerland for fighting his corner, and that of the club. He is adamant he will emerge victorious and that Sion will take their place in the Group Stage. They are even installing seating in the standing sections of their Stade Tourbillon to comply with Uefa regulations. Constanin said: “Why should I accept this injustice? “I’m fighting against it with all available means. I do not bow to the system of Uefa and Fifa. “It remains a fact all the players used in those play-off games against Celtic were licensed.” http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/sion-fight-uefa-on-three-fronts-1.1122064 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza_8 233 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 What's their to appeal? They were told not to play their new signings, they did and they were punished. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
metlika 0 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 What's their to appeal? They were told not to play their new signings, they did and they were punished. UEFA have to accept the registration of the players for qualifiers like Bocanegra with us and Goian etc so they allowed that squad which was registered to play. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa 0 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 UEFA have to accept the registration of the players for qualifiers like Bocanegra with us and Goian etc so they allowed that squad which was registered to play. I'm led to believe that UEFA don't actually do eligibility checks on a player by player basis though. I think all they do is recieve the registration paperwork and sign it off based on trusting that the national association for a club wouldn't allow an ineligible player to be registered. I could be wrong, but that's my take on it. I do think it's UEFA's fault though because they should never ever allow an ineligible player to play and then later turn round and say the player shouldn't have played. It should be UEFA's responsibility to make sure that every single player registered to play in one of their competitions is eligible. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
metlika 0 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 I'm led to believe that UEFA don't actually do eligibility checks on a player by player basis though. I think all they do is recieve the registration paperwork and sign it off based on trusting that the national association for a club wouldn't allow an ineligible player to be registered. I could be wrong, but that's my take on it. I do think it's UEFA's fault though because they should never ever allow an ineligible player to play and then later turn round and say the player shouldn't have played. It should be UEFA's responsibility to make sure that every single player registered to play in one of their competitions is eligible. Well it just shows how inept UEFA are if they don't even do checks especially when they have a supposed embargo on said team (Sion), FIFA have the embargo but they should let UEFA know, so it shows again how inept both organisations are. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,428 Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 CELTIC and Sion are set to meet again — at Madrid AIRPORT. SunSport can reveal the warring Euro rivals are on another continental collision course. Both clubs are pressing ahead with their Europa League plans — with both bizarrely scheduled to arrive in the Spanish capital at the same time next Wednesday. Controversial Sion chairman Christian Constantin is refusing to accept his club's fate despite being kicked out by UEFA. And a spokesman for the Swiss side last night confirmed they have booked their charter plane for Spain. Celtic, meanwhile, are now selling tickets for their Group I clashes with Atletico Madrid, Rennes and Udinese. And the Spaniards are convinced it WILL be Celtic they'll face — after omitting Sion from their newly-printed match tickets. The Hoops — who lost 3-1 to Sion in last month's qualifier — were reinstated after the Swiss club was found guilty of fielding FIVE ineligible players. But until that appeal is heard, probably early next week, confusion reigns as to who will face Atletico. A spokesman for Sion — who have forged ahead with plans to upgrade their stadium for big Euro games — said last night: "We know everything Celtic are doing. They can do what they want. "We've confirmed our flights to Madrid and have hotel accommodation booked. "We are preparing to be on the pitch in Madrid next week." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3802171/Swiss-to-fly-to-Madrid-for-Euro-tie.html#ixzz1XM6JALed 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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