Europe’s 53 football countries have criticised FC Sion for using civil courts to challenge UEFA and FIFA after the Swiss club was expelled from the Europa League.

UEFA’s 53 national federations are meeting in Cyprus and have issued a declaration “that any member of the football family which refuses to accept the rules of the competition should not participate in it.” 

They call on FIFA and Switzerland’s football federation “to urgently take concrete steps to uphold” world football’s rules.

Sion have flouted FIFA statutes by seeking civil court judgments to be reinstated.

UEFA expelled Sion because they beat Scotland’s Celtic in the playoff round using players signed in breach of a FIFA transfer ban.

Sion and UEFA meet in a Swiss court next Tuesday.