FC Porto kicked out of Champions League

Uefa decision estimated to cost Dragons 40 million euros

FC Porto have been kicked out of Europe next season by Uefa’s Disciplinary Committee in the wake of the Final Whistle corruption charges.

The decision has already been estimated to cost the club 40m euros in lost ticket revenue, TV rights, sponsorship and prize money. It also raises big doubts about the future of some of the club’s top players.

It could now be difficult for the Dragons to keep hold of Lucho Gonzalez, Lisandro Lopez, Ricardo Quaresma and Bruno Alves, who are likely to be unhappy at the prospect of missing out on Champions League football next season.

Porto were found guilty of attempted match-fixing in the 2003/04 season and were handed a 6-point penalty on 9 May by the Disciplinary Committee of the Portuguese Liga.

The docked points were largely meaningless given that Porto had a 20-point lead at the top of the table with one match remaining at the time.

Corruption charges upheld - Porto, Boavista & Leiria punished
Porto at risk of Champions League ban

Fierce criticism has already been levelled at the club’s legal department, due to the fact they did not appeal against the decision, in effect admitting their guilt and leaving themselves open to Uefa sanctions.

The chief beneficiaries of the decision are Guimaraes and Benfica. The northern club will now enter directly into the Champions League, while the Lisbon outfit will play the final qualifying round in August to enter the competition.