UEFA handed Fenerbahçe a three year-ban from European competition last month, just two years after being withdrawn from the competition by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) while they were being investigated for match-fixing, and Istanbul rivals Beşiktaş were given a one season ban following an investigation into their 2011 Turkish Cup final win.

İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor player İbrahim Akın admitted in July 2011 to partaking in two games - against Beşiktaş in the Turkish Cup final of 2011 and against eventual league champions Fenerbahçe in the same year - that had been manipulated which led to his arrest and a subsequent three-year ban from football in May 2012 due to the part he played in the match-fixing.

Beşiktaş were banned from Europe for one year following an investigation into their Turkish Cup final win in 2011

A total of 93 players and officials were arrested in the scandal last July, including Fenerbahçe chairman Aziz Yıldırım, who was jailed for six years before later being released upon appeal.

"The control and disciplinary body carefully analysed the situation of Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş and has pronounced the following sanctions," read a statement from UEFA announcing the banning orders last month.

"Beşiktaş is not eligible to participate in the 2013-14 UEFA Europa League.

"Fenerbahçe is excluded from participating in the next three UEFA club competitions for which it would qualify, including the 2013-14 UEFA Champions League season.

"The ban for the third season is deferred for a probationary period of five years."

Fenerbahçe lost an appeal for reinstatement earlier this week, but they will be involved in today's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round draw following intervention from the CAS.

The club confirmed that they would be taking part in the third qualifying round draw in a statement to the Istanbul stock exchange yesterday.

''The execution of the two-year ban from UEFA competitions given to our club by the UEFA [appeal] committee has been suspended by CAS,'' Fenerbahçe said.

Fenerbahçe chairman Aziz Yıldırım is adamant his club will be cleared of match-fixing claims


A subsequent statement from CAS confirms the action taken by both clubs.

"The Court of Arbitration for Sport has registered today an appeal filed by Fenerbahçe SK and a request for provisional measures filed by Beşiktaş JK against UEFA in relation to the decisions taken by the UEFA Appeal Body on 10 and 11 July 2013, pursuant to which Fenerbahçe SK was excluded from participating in the next two UEFA club competitions it qualifies for, including the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League, and Beşiktaş JK was declared ineligible to participate in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League," it said.

The CAS also confirmed the sanctions "have been stayed and will not be enforced until CAS issues its final decision in each matter".

Yıldırım, who has denied any wrong-doing from the offset, told the club's television station: ''This struggle will continue until the end and both the whole of Turkey and the world will see that Fenerbahçe is in the right."

Even if both sides do successfully navigate the qualifying rounds, there is no guarantee that they will be cleared to compete in the first round proper.

The side that finished in fourth, Bursaspor, will take the place of either team should they be banned from competing in Europe.

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