Ukraine executive loses match-fixing appeal; club could be expelled from Champions League

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – The sports director of the Ukrainian soccer team Metalist Kharkiv lost his appeal in a match-fixing case, possibly forcing the club's expulsion from the Champions League.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Yevhen Krasnikov's five-year ban imposed by the Ukraine Football Federation for helping fix Metalist's 4-0 victory against Karpaty Lviv in April 2008.

The top sports court upheld three- to five-year bans for six players, including current Metalist defender Serhiy Pshenychnykh, who played then for Karpaty.

The court says Metalist is "deprived of the bronze medal" for its third-place league finish in 2007-08. The verdicts, however, could also force European soccer authorities to open a disciplinary case against the Champions League newcomer.