Steaua Bucharest could be barred from entering next season's Champions League over alleged match-fixing, Europe's governing football body UEFA said on Friday, according to dpa. UEFA General Secretary David Taylor said that the organization had decided on Friday morning to pass on the matter to its disciplinary committee. UEFA had earlier barred former Champions League winners Porto and CSKA Sofia from entering the lucrative competition in the new season. Steaua, who finished runners-up in the Romanian league to CFR Cluj and are entitled to participate in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, were earlier docked six points by the Romanian football federation after being found guilty of attempting to influence the outcome of a game. The club had been accused to offering another club money to win a game, which would have helped Steaua win the championship. Taylor said that he could not comment on the merits of the case. UEFA president Michel Platini said that it was part of his programme to stamp out cheating in football. "It is very important that UEFA shows that we are combating cheating." "We have very strict rules that teams will be thrown out of our competitions for cheating, it is part and parcel of my programmes. "We want clean football in all four corners of Europe." Under new regulations set up last year, clubs that are or had been involved in attempts to influence the outcome of a national or international match cannot participate in the Champions League. The rules were tightened after AC Milan successfully appealed against a Champions League ban over its role in an Italian fixing scheme. UEFA was not happy to have them in the competition and Milan even won the title in that 2006/2007 campaign. Porto were earlier excluded from the Champions League after being penalized six points by the Portuguese football association for bribery several years ago. They have appealed the UEFA decision. Sofia were not granted a license by the Bulgarian federation after owing too much money and as a result failed to meet the UEFA criteria for Champions League participation, Taylor said.
