Porto are to appeal over their Champions League ban, it has been confirmed.
The club have been excluded from next season's competition following allegations of bribery of referees during the 2003/04 season.
Claims centre around two domestic matches from Porto's campaign, one a 2-0 win against Estrela da Amadora and the other a 0-0 draw with Beira Mar.
Porto were found guilty of fixing those matches by the Portuguese league last month, but they decided not to appeal against the decision given their healthy position at the top of the domestic table.
However, this decision has had wider repercussions as Uefa have decided to take action on the back of findings in the Portuguese court.
"We have taken this decision because a Portuguese court has actually sentenced FC Porto and its president," Uefa director of communications William Gaillard told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"The president has appealed against the decision but the club itself has not appealed and therefore this is a sentence that stands and under our statutes, we felt obliged to ban them from next year's Champions League.
"Porto can appeal within three days of receiving the motivations of the sentence, if it lost that appeal of course we would then replace Porto with the runners-up," Mr Gaillard added.
A Jose Mourinho-inspired Porto won both the domestic title and the Champions League in 2003/04.
Mourinho, the new Inter manager, has not been cited in any of the accusations.
© Copyright
21 October 2010
21 October 2010
21 October 2010
20 October 2010
20 October 2010
