The Court of Arbitration for Sport did not upheld Ħamrun Spartans appeal against their exclusion from this season’s Champions League.
The Spartans turned to the independent sport body that is based in Lausanne to try and overturn UEFA’s decision to exclude the Spartans from this season’s Champions League due to their involvement in a match-fixing case that dates back to 2013.
The Ħamrun Spartans’ top hierarchy presented a strong case in front of the CAS in a bid to try and win a place in this season’s elite UEFA club competition.
Spartans CEO Marcel Bonnici had sounded confident in a news conference last week that the club would win his case over their European participation.
However, the Sole Arbitrator appointed by the CAS on the case didn’t accept the Spartans arguments to overturn the ban and rejected their appeal.
The decision means that Hibernians will retain their place in this season’s UEFA Champions League and the Paolites will now head to Estonia next week to compete in the first qualifying round.
On the other hand, Gżira United will face Andorran side St Julia in the UEFA Europa Conference League, Birkirkara will take on La Fiorita, of San Marino, while Mosta will make their debut in the UEFA club competitions when they face Slovakian giants Spartak Trnava.
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