UEFA bans Turkish club for breaking fair play regulations

The Turkish club failed to meet the conditions of a 2016 settlement agreement which required them to be "break-even compliant". [Photo: Courtesy]

UEFA has handed Turkish Super Lig leaders Trabzonspor a one-season ban from European football for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

According to the governing body of football in Europe, Trabzonspor failed to meet the conditions of a 2016 settlement agreement which required them to be "break-even compliant".

UEFA said on Wednesday the ban would be applied if the club qualified for the Champions League or Europa League in either of the next two seasons.

UEFA said in a statement: “On 5 July 2019, the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) Adjudicatory Chamber determined that Trabzonspor A? (TUR) failed to be break-even compliant as required by a settlement agreement, which it entered into on 20 May 2016 and sanctioned the club with a conditional exclusion from participating in one (1) UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.

"The sanction would not take effect if the club fulfilled certain conditions, including meeting a target with respect to its financial results for the 2019 financial year.

 "The CFCB Adjudicatory Chamber has now determined that Trabzonspor A? failed to meet the target fixed for the 2019 financial year.

 "As a result, the CFCB Adjudicatory Chamber has ordered that the club be excluded from participating in one (1) UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons."

Trabzonspor are level on points with Istanbul Basaksehir at the Super Lig summit with eight matches remaining.

Trabzonspor players pose for a team photo, Vodafone Arena, Istanbul, Feb. 22, 2020. [Photo: Reuters]