Asian Champs Jeonbuk To Appeal AFC Ban

SEOUL, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2017 ) : Disgraced Asian title-holders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for sports after being banned from this year's AFC Champions League over a domestic match-fixing scandal, reports said Thursday.

"We have decided to appeal the case to the CAS to justify our participation," Jeonbuk were cited as saying by South Korea's mass-selling Chosun Ilbo newspaper. The Asian Football Confederation on Wednesday banned the defending champions from this year's competition due to its "indirect involvement in activities" to manipulate the outcome of matches during the 2013 and 2014 K-League seasons.

The decision was based on new eligibility rules, the AFC said. Jeonbuk can bring its case to the CAS within 10 days of the decision, but may not have enough time to secure a ruling before the competition starts next month.

"Even if we win our case, we cannot participate if the CAS ruling is made after the AFC Champions League starts," a Jeonbuk official was quoted as saying by local media. "We will request the CAS to make a ruling as soon as possible," he said in the article republished on the club's website.