ISTANBUL — Turkish side Fenerbahce will be unable to compete in the Europa League this season after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a UEFA-imposed two-year ban from European competition over a match-fixing scandal Wednesday. With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vote on whether Istanbul, Madrid or Tokyo will host the 2020 Olympics due on Sept. 7, the timing of the announcement delivers another body blow to the tarnished image of Turkish sport. Fenerbahce said it would appeal the CAS decision in a Swiss federal court but the club's shares took a beating following the decision, falling nearly 6 percent, before trimming losses to close 3.5 percent down at 24.60 lira. Playing under appeal against the original ban, Fenerbahce was beaten 2-0 by Arsenal in the second leg of a Champions League playoff Tuesday, losing the tie 5-0 on aggregate. Normally a defeat at this stage would still guarantee a berth in the continent's second tier competition but Fenerbahce will be barred from the Europa League following the CAS ruling. Lausanne-based CAS said in a statement it had dismissed appeals filed by Fenerbahce and Ukraine's Metalist Kharkiv, barred by UEFA over involvement in a domestic match-fixing case dating back to 2008. “Fenerbahce SK is excluded from two editions of the UEFA club competitions,” CAS said in its ruling following a two-day hearing held at its headquarters on Aug. 21-22. Fenerbahce and fellow Istanbul club Besiktas were banned in June after a protracted UEFA inquiry into scandals that emerged in 2011. Besiktas, banned for one season, also appealed to CAS and its ruling is expected on Aug. 30. In a separate statement, UEFA said it welcomed the rejection of Fenerbahce's appeal. Europe's governing body said the UEFA Emergency Panel would meet Thursday to decide on the consequences the confirmed exclusion of Fenerbahce from the 2013-14 UEFA club competitions would have on the UEFA Europa League. — Reuters
