Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Those fans who purport to be a supporter of ABU FC (Anyone But United) may have been a little premature in celebrating their recent exit from the Champions League, writes Abu George.
The Red Devils’ supporters can clutch at straws after it became apparent that there is a possibility that they may be invited into the closing stages after all!
This stems from problems in Switzerland after the National Football Association failed to punish FC Sion after they were ejected from the Europa League earlier in the season having fielded a number of ineligible players in a fixture against Celtic.
A complicated legal tug-of-war has been waged since the summer when Sion signed six new players despite having had a transfer embargo placed upon them.
The six players took the Swiss FA to court locally and had the ban overturned resulting in Sion fielding the previously ineligible players in two fixtures, one domestic and the other against Celtic.
However, FIFA did not take this lightly and promptly took their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), winning their case last Thursday.
FIFA is now insisting that the Swiss FA take action against soccor stars Sion.
So what, I hear you ask, does this have to do with Manchester United? Well, under current FIFA regulations, should the Swiss FA fail to comply, then all Swiss clubs will be barred from European or international competition. As United were effectively knocked out by another Swiss club, FC Basle, these results would be declared null and void, allowing United to progress to the later stages.
Although it is highly unlikely that the Swiss FA will fail to comply with FIFA’s stringent requirements to punish Sion by January 13, at least United’s legion of supporters can cling onto a little hope this Christmas!
