FC Sion Update: Next Stop Swiss Federal Court

In an expected outcome the Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled in favor of UEFA in their ongoing legal battle with FC Sion.  The BBC reports:

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Uefa's decision to expel the Swiss club from of the competition for fielding ineligible players.

Five such players were fielded in Sion's two-legged play-off win against with Celtic, who were reinstated in the competition after making a complaint.

Sion have also been ordered to pay Uefa 40,000 Swiss Francs for the governing body's legal costs.

However, the Swiss club intend to challenge the verdict and have 30 days to respond officially.

The CAS verdict of course does not end the legal battle, which looks to be taken all the way to the top of the European Justice System:

In response to the CAS ruling, a Sion spokesman said: "The verdict makes stronger our feeling of the servility of the CAS to the powerful football authorities. It confirms our belief that now it becomes urgent to change the functioning of that court, which ultimately is not one.

"We are now taking the case in front of Swiss Federal Court (the CAS recognises its authority), and then the European Court."

 This one is going to take a while to resolve -- much longer than it will to resolve this year's on-field Europa Cup competition.